There Will Be a Way
by thagrrrl79
Summary: AU Sequel to "Incomplete": Weeks after their encounter with the Master, a barely-healed Kari is taken, sending the Doctor and Rose on a wild goose chase through time and space to find her. Will they find her? How does Martha fit in? 10/Rose/Martha/OC
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** Finally, the third (and final, for now) book in the Stranger!Verse series. There will be little one-offs and shorts after this, not to worry. However, I'm wanting to move on to something slightly different (still within DW). I already have an idea and most of a plan.

Co-written with sss979; beta read by Thanatosx49 (who's unfortunately not on FanFiction, but can be found at Teaspoon and an Open Mind)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or have any rights to anything affiliated to Doctor Who. I don't get paid for this, nor do I particularly want to be.

* * *

**Prologue**

He took another sip of the strong, amber liquid and set the glass down on the arm of the chair. He was quite glad it was made of sturdy material or else he would've broken it long ago. As it was, his hand ached from the tight grip he had on it, his other drumming furiously on the opposite arm.

The Doctor had been here, on Ri'Ciao and he'd had no idea. No inkling. Forty years of dreaming, plotting ways to end him, and he'd slipped right through his fingers. Worse, he hadn't even known he'd had him in his grasp.

Growling in anger, Jaxon threw back the last swallow of alcohol before launching the glass against the wall. It hit with a satisfying _crash_ and joined the remains of the three previous victims of his rage on the floor.

He couldn't blame Kalan for not telling him. Not really. He'd made him Commander for a reason: he trusted him and his judgment. He'd wanted someone who wouldn't need to come to him for every little decision. Under normal circumstances, with any other prisoner, this wouldn't have been an issue. Kalan had seen the opportunity to go forward with their plan to assassinate the President and took it.

And how could he be sure it was even the same Doctor? It had been a century since he'd been here last; for what he knew of humans, they didn't tend to live that long. That was assuming the Doctor _was_ human.

Jaxon stood and made his way to the bar, pouring another drink before sitting back down and staring into the dim light of his quarters. Swirling the glass, he contemplated the conversation he'd had with L'Nay an hour or so prior.

He'd known her planet had been destroyed in a war centuries ago, long before her time. She was descended from a handful of people who saw how futile the war was and fled. Her people passed down stories of the two races that had started the war – the Time Lords and the Daleks – placing the blame on them for the destruction of Unvoss.

Her people seemed to believe the Doctor was a Time Lord, quite possibly the last in existence. If that were the case, then by their beliefs, it would be his responsibility to pay for the crimes of his people against the Unvoss and any other planet destroyed in the war.

She'd come to Jaxon with a proposition: she would help find the Doctor and bring him back to Ri'Ciao if her people were allowed to try him for the destruction of their planet. Once she'd explained how she could help, he'd been hard pressed to turn her down. He had no way to search him out, let alone get him to return. If she had the means…

Sighing, his grip relaxed on the glass slightly and he took a long drink. His mind swirled with all the ways he would make the Doctor pay for the decades of oppression his 'democracy' had brought to the people of Ri'Ciao. If he was a Time Lord – whatever that meant – then by what L'Nay had told him, his was an arrogant and selfish people, focused only on what was best for them. This showed in the way he had swooped in and 'fixed' their problems all those years ago.

Jaxon's grip tightened again, this time hearing the glass crack as rage welled in him anew. With a roar, he stood and flung the glass at the same spot the others had met their demise, not bothering this time to empty the contents.

Chest heaving and teeth clenched, breaths coming out in hot bursts, he paced his quarters a few times before punching a wall, leaving a sizeable dent in the reinforced steel.

"I will find you, Doctor, and when I do, you will pay for what you have done to my people. I will have your life and the lives of anyone close to you. This I promise you, Doctor."


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The Doctor chuckled as he watched Rose try to unsuccessfully blow her mud-caked bangs out of her face.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just move it with your hand?"

She glared at him, eyes narrowing more as he beamed down at her, and held up her hands.

"Oh, you mean with my equally mud-caked hands? Yes, because that would be productive."

Shaking his head, he reached a hand up and brushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"There. Better?"

"Yes, much, ta."

Taking Rose's hand, he shot a glance over his shoulder at his other companion, smirking when he noticed she'd finally given up on her shoes.

"How're you doing back there?"

Kari's voice dripped with sarcasm as she tried to break the many layers of mud off her arms.

"Oh, I'm doing just great! First time out of the TARDIS in a week and I'm sunburned, covered in bug bites, and have mud in places it shouldn't be."

"Then you shouldn't have gone down that embankment."

Kari stopped and gave him a look that generally meant she thought he was the thickest alien in the universe.

"The embankment wasn't the problem, nor was my precarious balance, just in case you were thinking of blaming that next. The _problem_, Doctor, was that piss-poor excuse of a rope you threw us!"

He stopped and turned, walking backwards a few steps. "That rope was just fine! Made of the strongest Xelaxes hemp, it was." His eyes darted away, hands shoved in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. "The tree it was tied to, on the other hand…"

She smirked. "Of course it was." Laughing she shook her head and turned her arms over. "Mud is apparently good for the skin and might help this burn a bit, so it's not all bad."

Returning her smile, he was just spinning back to face the TARDIS in the distance when something caught his awareness. Something wrong. He felt it before he saw it – the blue beam appeared around Kari. But he hardly had a chance to react as her eyes went wide in fear. "Doctor!"

"It's okay," he said tensely, one hand up to calm her as the other reached quickly for his screwdriver. "It's okay; just stay calm."

Teleportation beam? Where was it _coming_ from? Taking his eyes off of hers for just a second to more closely inspect the glowing energy of the beam, he tried to identify it as she pressed on the wall that suddenly separated them.

"What's going on? What is this?"

He shook his head slightly as his screwdriver whirred loudly, but told him nothing. "Some kind of…"

But then she was gone. Before he could finish his thought – before he even knew how to finish it – she had disappeared into thin air. Eyes still wide, he lowered his screwdriver and ran a hand through his hair.

"Doctor?" Rose sounded anxious. And she was gripping the sleeve of his coat. "What just happened? Where'd she go?"

He shook his head. He could think of a few possibilities – some worse than others but none of them good.

Rose took a deep breath before smacking her tongue. "Blech! Do you taste that? It's kind of a… metal."

"Transmat," he finally concluded, noticing the clues at the same time she did. "Gives off that metallic taste."

"Transmat to _where_?"

"No idea." Turning, he absently took Rose's hand as he set a quick pace toward the TARDIS. "Good news is that it also gives off a traceable energy signal we should be able to easily follow."

Fumbling for his key, he cursed as he dropped it before finally getting it in the lock. He strode up the ramp, throwing his coat over a strut with one hand as he reached for the scanner with the other. Inputting the information he'd gleaned with his screwdriver, he was able to find the energy signal. Standing up straight, he cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, well, now that's interesting."

Rose came up beside him and peered at the scanner.

"What is?"

"This energy signature. It matches the one from when we were knocked out of the Vortex a few weeks ago, trapping us on that refugee planet."

She frowned up at him. "You think it's the same people?"

He nodded. "It's likely. Same primitive technology; probably don't even know how to properly use it. Shouldn't take too much to trace it and find Kari."

The Doctor immediately set coordinates for the origin of the signal. Then he threw the hand brake, lurching them into flight. Rose looked up at him as she hung on to the console, her nose crinkled in confusion.

"What I don't get is _why_ someone would take Kari. Not like she's made any enemies. None that I'm aware of, anyway."

The Doctor shrugged as he simultaneously pushed the air pump and hammered on an abstinent switch.

"My guess is that they were after me and missed. Another sign they don't know how to use their equipment." Reaching around the console, he held down a button with one hand, pointed to another for Rose to press, and held a gauge in place with his foot. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they took her out of the wrong time stream."

Rose held the button down while carefully moving a lever up. The Doctor grinned; he hadn't told her to do it; she just _knew_.

"What does that mean?"

"That means, Rose Tyler," he said as he threw the final lever, barely catching himself on the console as the TARDIS slammed down, causing him to frown up at the rotor slightly. "That whatever caused someone to come after me hasn't happened yet."

Kari fell to the floor, breath knocked out of her, as the blue force field released her. Fighting the urge to vomit, she slowly opened her eyes, coming face-to-face with a murky reflection of herself in the floor. Carefully moving her muddy hair out of her face, she chanced a glance up and was met by several sets of boot-clad feet.

"Get up!" a voice barked behind her as she was kicked in the ass.

Slowly, she got to her feet, surveying her surroundings as she did. Fifteen guards, all with guns trained on her, formed a semi-circle in front of her, making what otherwise appeared to be a decent sized room rather cramped. The hum of some sort of electronics sent a slight vibration through the cold, metal floor to her bare feet and up her body.

A throat cleared, bringing Kari's attention to a tall, imposing man with a slight purple tint to his skin. It didn't take much to realize he'd been the one to kick her and bark the order. She watched him carefully as he circled her.

"Who are you?"

"Kari. You?"

"Kalan."

She glanced around the room, trying very much to hide her fear. "Where am I?"

"You don't know?"

Sensing mild amusement from Kalan, Kari made her eyes meet his, following him as he continued a circuit around her, hands clasped behind his back.

"Should I?"

"Are you an associate of the Doctor?"

She gasped, almost inaudibly, but not enough for Kalan to have missed it. Her entire body tensed as he stopped in front of her, towering. A slow, terrifying smile started to creep across his face, revealing what appeared to be incredibly sharp teeth.

"You are, aren't you?"

Swallowing, Kari clenched her fists to try to keep from trembling, although she knew her panic was written all over her face.

"Wh…why do you want to know?"

Kalan reached a hand up, gently stroking the backs of his fingers down her mud-caked face, causing her to flinch.

"That, my dear Kari, would be telling."

Rose looked up at the hospital and frowned. "Why would she be in a hospital in my time?"

The Doctor shrugged and took her hand as he started walking toward the front door.

"Only one way to find out. Come on."

As soon as they entered the building, the Doctor clutched his side and doubled over in apparent pain. Surprised by this sudden turn, Rose grabbed his arm and tried to get him to look at her.

"Doctor, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

He glanced up at her, smiled and winked, before continuing with his little show. Panic turned into curiosity as she stepped out of the way of the orderlies. One of them approached her, clipboard in hand.

"Is this your husband, ma'am?"

Her eyes darted toward him, trying not to laugh as he howled and writhed in pain. She had no idea he was such a good actor. Nodding, she looked back at the waiting nurse.

"Yeah, he's my husband."

"Name?"

"Mine or his?"

"His, ma'am."

She nodded again, her brain going over his various aliases. "Right. John Tyler. Doctor John Tyler."

The nurse's eyes flicked up from the clipboard. "He's a doctor?"

"Yes, that's right."

"What kind of doctor?"

Rose swallowed. "What kind? Oh, um, a sciency one, I suppose."

The nurse's eyebrow quirked before going back to the clipboard. "Right. Age?"

"Thirty-five?"

"You don't know how old your husband is?"

Rose shrugged. _Well, he _says_ he's 903_, she thought. "We don't really keep track."

"Alright. How long has he been complaining of pain?"

_Oh, about a minute or two._ "Hour or so."

"History of illness, any major surgeries, allergies to medications?"

_Does regeneration count as major surgery?_ Rose shook her head. "No, not that I'm aware of. Oh! He's allergic to aspirin."

The nurse looked up and smiled as she slid her pen in her pocket. "No aspirin. Got it. We'll get any other information we need once we get him stabilized. Now if you'll just follow me, Mrs. Tyler, I'll take you back to A&E where you can wait with your husband."

"Please, call me Rose."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Enter."

Jaxon looked up from his desk as his commander entered his office, an emotionless mask on his face. Stopping in front of his desk, Kalan gave a short nod.

"Sir."

"Kalan. Please, have a seat." He nodded toward a chair, noting the other man's slight hesitance before sitting. Jaxon leaned back in his chair and folded his hands on the desk. "Do you have good news for me?"

"I have news for you, though I don't know how good it is."

Jaxon raised a brow, encouraging Kalan to continue.

"The Unvoss retrieved someone, but it's not the Doctor. We think she may have been with him when she was taken."

"Is she one of the two female companions he had with him?"

Kalan shook his head. "No, sir. None of the people who saw them recognize her."

Jaxon nodded. "Have you questioned her yet?"

"Not yet, sir. We're holding her in Interrogation Room Alpha, awaiting your orders."

"Question her. Find out when and where she was when the Unvoss took her."

Kalan raised a brow. "When, sir?"

"Yes, when, Kalan. The Doctor is a time traveler; we need to know when just as much as where he is if we are to find him."

The other man nodded, albeit unsurely. "Very well, sir. Anything else?"

Jaxon rested his elbows on the arms of his chair, templing his fingers. "Find out everything you can about the Doctor. _Everything_. By any means necessary." He met Kalan's eyes, holding them for a beat. "Is that perfectly clear, Commander?"

Kalan nodded as he stood. "Absolutely, sir."

"Good. You are dismissed. Report back with any and all information she gives you."

Giving another nod, Kalan turned on his heel and exited the office. Jaxon stared after him for a while, tapping his fingers against his mouth. Yet another female associate. He wondered if it was the same one who'd been with him all those years ago, the one who helped bring about their people's demise. Oh, that would be delightful! Even if she couldn't lead them to the Doctor, he'd surely come looking for her. And when he did…

A sick grin formed on Jaxon's face as he contemplated all the ways he would make the Doctor suffer for his crimes. A hundred years was a long time to account for.

The Doctor strained his neck, making sure the coast was clear before hopping out of bed. Digging in his coat pocket, he smiled as he pulled out his sonic. Kissing it, he climbed back in bed before he was spotted. He was so caught up in changing the settings that he didn't hear Rose come in the cubicle.

"Just what the hell are you doing?" she hissed, closing the curtain roughly.

He looked up at her, confused. "What do you mean? I thought it was obvious."

"Well, it's not to me, so start explaining."

He sighed. "The signal is coming from the hospital, Rose. Best way to figure out where and why is to find a way to stay for a while."

"So you got yourself admitted? Do you really think that's such a good idea?"

Pushing the button on the sonic, he squinted as he read the results. Not taking his eyes off of them, he snapped his fingers and waved toward his clothes.

"Could you get my glasses for me, Rose?"

She puffed out an exasperated breath as she dug through his coat. "Why? It's not like you need them." She handed them to him, an eyebrow raised.

Taking them, he pushed them up his nose and continued studying the readings.

"Maybe not, but they help me think." He smiled, looking up at her over said glasses. "Besides, I know you think they're sexy."

Rose's eyes went wide as a blush covered her face, ears, and neck. He chuckled as she sputtered.

"You…they…" she folded her arms over her chest, defiant. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His smile broadened and he winked before going back to the readings.

"Looks like we'll be here a while. The signal is incredibly weak and seems to be the whole hospital. Need to stick around and monitor it."

Rolling her eyes, Rose flopped down in a chair. "Lovely. Hanging about in A&E with a barmy Time Lord. It's like a dream come true."

"Your barmy Time Lord _husband_." He laughed as her eyes went wide again, the blush returning and deepening. "Oh yes, I heard that whole exchange. I understand I took your surname. How modern of us."

"Quite." Propping her feet on his bed, she gave a resigned sigh and glanced toward his clothes. "Any chance you got a crossword in there?"

Kalan sat across the table from the human prisoner, arms crossed over his chest as he studied her. He raised a brow as she fidgeted in her seat.

"Is there a problem?"

She glared at him. "You mean other than the fact I'm handcuffed to a chair and have no idea why?"

He smirked. "Yes, I do mean other than that."

"If you must know, this isn't exactly the most comfortable chair in the universe." She grimaced as she shifted again. "I keep sticking to it."

He raised his eyebrows slightly as he quickly ran his eyes down her body. When they met hers again, he was amused to see her staring at him in mild disgust.

"I'm not that familiar with humans, but I'm fairly certain they don't normally go around in their undergarments and covered in mud."

Her eyes narrowed as she huffed a short breath through her nose. He was slightly surprised it hadn't come out as steam.

"They're not my undergarments, it's a swimsuit. I'd been having quite a lovely day out when you up and swiped me. Now, if you're done ogling me, could you please explain just what the hell I'm doing here?"

Any amount of amusement faded as he leaned forward. She finally stilled as his eyes drilled into hers.

"Where and when did we pick you up from, Kari?"

Blinking, her eyes seemed to go out of focus as she sat back in her chair, slowly shaking her head.

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

Kari's eyes came into focus and a look of fear flashed across her face as she looked at him. He got the sense the fear had nothing to do with him or the handcuffs.

"No, I don't. I honestly have no idea where or when I was."

He frowned, confused. "How can you not know? Do you make it a habit of randomly landing on unknown planets in unknown times?"

She gave a short laugh as her focus shifted to somewhere over his shoulder.

"Actually, yeah, all the time. Part of the fun of it." She was silent for a moment before frowning and meeting his gaze again. "Wait a minute. You keep asking when. When I was. What do you know about that?"

His smile returned as he leaned back in his chair, tilting his head slightly.

"I don't, really. We barely have space travel. However, I've been led to believe that asking _when_ is just as important as _where_ when it comes to the Doctor and his associates."

Kari searched him for a moment, obviously wary. She'd clearly been trained to speak as little as possible about the Doctor and his actions.

"Like I said, I don't know when or where I was when you took me."

Kalan drummed his fingers on the table, studying her. He sighed.

"Fine, let's pretend for a moment that I believe you. Can you tell me who you were with?"

"Yes."

"Will you?"

"No."

Leaning on the table, he laced his fingers together,

"And why's that?"

She leaned forward as far as she could, holding his gaze. "Are you going to tell me just what the fuck I'm doing here? And where the hell _here_ is? And why?"

Leaning back, Kalan scrubbed his hands down his face. If he wanted to get anything out of her willingly, he was going to have to give her something.

"You're on Ri'Ciao. You're here because of a…miscalculation in attempting to retrieve someone we believe is responsible for a murder. I am trying to establish if you're associated with this person, and, if so, how to find them."

Seeming to accept this, she nodded and sat back. "And you think that person is the Doctor."

"Yes. Can you help us find him? _Will_ you?"

"No, Kalan, I can't, even if I wanted to, which I don't. Like I said, I have no idea when or where I was when you took me. A fact that, quite frankly, terrifies me more than anything you could do to me."

He gave a short, humorless laugh. "Oh, I wouldn't bet on it."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"…a visit from psychiatric."

Rose smiled and shook her head as she sipped what felt like her hundredth cup of awful hospital coffee.

"What'd you say this time to make the staff think you're a nutter?" she asked as she sat beside the Doctor.

He shrugged. "I was just telling them about when I helped Franklin 'discover' electricity with that bleeding kite and got myself electrocuted."

She nodded knowingly. "Yup, that'd do it."

He looked passed her in the direction the students had gone. "One of them said something odd."

"_You_ think one of them said something odd?" She leaned forward, tongue caught between her teeth. "Do tell."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed at her slightly before continuing. "Said I ran up to her on the street this morning and took my tie off. I wasn't out running about without my knowledge was I?"

Rose laughed and shook her head, sitting back. "Not that I'm aware of."

"See. Odd."

Opening her mouth to respond, she closed it in favor of turning to see what the commotion was behind her. Someone was going on about the rain. Glancing at the window, she noticed it didn't seem right. Frowning, she set her coffee down and went to look.

"It's raining up," she whispered to herself.

Suddenly, the building started to shake and move, almost like it was being moved. With the skill of a well-seasoned TARDIS traveler, Rose clutched onto the window sill and braced herself, barely keeping herself upright. She watched in awe as the building was surrounded by blue coils before being knocked violently to the floor.

Moaning in pain, she rubbed the back of her head as she sat up, taking the Doctor's proffered hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet. Hands clasped, they walked to the window together and stared out.

"We're on the moon."

He nodded. "We're on the moon." He looked down at himself, clicking his tongue. "I'm going to change. No way I'm going to battle aliens in my jimjams again."

Nodding absently, Rose continued staring out the window, breathless from the beauty of the Earth from this vantage point.

She was snapped out of her reverie by the panic all around her. Instincts kicking in, she began trying to calm patients and staff.

"It's okay; we're safe."

A woman – one of the students – grabbed her by the front of her shirt, eyes wide with fear.

"How do you know we're safe? We're on the bloody moon!"

Rose smiled and carefully extracted herself from the frantic woman.

"I know we're on the moon. Panicking isn't going to change that. We need to keep calm."

Much to Rose's annoyance, the student crumpled at her feet, hugging her legs and sobbing. Shaking her head, Rose absently stroked the woman's hair as she surveyed the room. Most everyone was a sobbing mess. Everyone but the Doctor, one of the other students, and herself. _Well_, Rose thought, _at least not everyone's gone off their rocker._

The Doctor walked up to her, shoving his hands in his pockets as he frowned down at the sobbing woman still clinging to her. He nodded toward her.

"Who's your friend?"

Rose sighed. "No idea." She looked in the direction of the other student standing slightly behind him. "And yours?"

He looked over his shoulder. "Oh, I have no idea." He turned and smiled, extending his hand to the other woman. "How do you do? I'm the Doctor and this is Rose Tyler. And you are?"

The woman frowned slightly as she shook their hands. "Martha Jones. Nice to meet you, Doctor Tyler."

He put his hand back in his pocket and shook his head. "Just the Doctor."

Martha raised an eyebrow. "Just the Doctor?"

"Yep. That's me!"

She exchanged a look with Rose, who just shrugged. Martha looked him up and down.

"Right, well, excuse me of I don't call you that right off the bat. That's a title that's earned."

Rose sucked her lips in, barely able to keep herself from laughing as the Doctor frowned in confusion. He wasn't used to people not simply calling him Doctor. It always amused her when they fought him on it.

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor puffed out his cheeks before blowing it out and turning back to Rose.

"We're heading to the balcony to see what we're actually dealing with. Care to join us?"

She glanced down at the woman at her feet. She'd thankfully let go of Rose's legs, but she was still a sobbing ball of uselessness. She sighed and looked back up at the him.

"No, I think I'll be of more use out here."

Smiling, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, startling her. "Suit yourself, wifey, just be careful."

She gave a snort of laughter. "You too, husband." She watched them walk out, shouting after them. "And don't ever call me 'wifey' again!"

Jaxon sneered as guards pushed Kari to her knees in front of him. He hated humans; they were primitive and barbaric. This one seemed to be dressed in nothing but her underwear and covered in filth. He shuddered. Mongrels.

Standing from his chair, he slowly made his way toward her, circling her, amused and pleased by her bowed head. At least she knew her place; few prisoners did. After making two full circuits around her, he nudged her shoulder with his boot.

"Look at me, girl. We have much to discuss and I refuse to talk to the top of your head."

Kari looked up at him, meeting his eyes, a look of hatred and defiance behind them. That would be dealt with soon enough.

"I understand you know the Doctor. Where is he?"

She sighed, annoyance dripping from every syllable as she spoke.

"I don't know. I didn't know when I got here. I didn't know when Kalan interrogated me. And I sure as hell don't know now."

Jaxon's eyes narrowed at her blatant insolence. He'd assumed by her apparent supplication that she knew her place, but he was finding out quite quickly how wrong he was. Not taking his eyes off of her, he reached a hand out to one of the guards.

"Give me your gun."

Kari's eyes widened with the appropriate amount of fear and horror has he pressed the barrel to her head. He smiled wide, letting her see _all_ of his teeth, taking great pleasure in seeing the shimmer of sweat forming on her brow.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again." He pressed the barrel further into her forehead, a snarl forming on his lips. "Where is the Doctor?"

Trembling, she shook her head as tears started to streak down her mud-caked face. "I don't know! I swear I don't know!"

With a growl, Jaxon pulled the gun back and brought the handle down hard against her temple, knocking her to the floor, unconscious. He thrust the weapon back at the guard.

"Take her to the chamber and strap her in." He gagged as the horrifying scent of human blood hit his nose. "Ugh. And get someone in here to clean up this mess immediately. Her filth was bad enough, but I will not have her blood staining my immaculate floor."

Waiting only long enough for the guards to acknowledge his order, he spun on his heel, in search of something to wash the stink of human out of his nose.

Rose stood and stretched as she looked up and down the hallway. It was lined with patients and staff passing oxygen masks between them. She was thankful – and not for the first time – for her respiratory bypass. That and adrenaline should keep her going for a while.

She was jostled out of her thoughts as the odd men in all leather and motorcycle helmets pushed passed her, followed closely by Mrs. Finnegan.

"Oi! Watch it!"

Mrs. Finnegan turned and smiled. "Sorry, dear, but my boys are ever so thirsty. I'm sure you understand."

Rose frowned as the trio disappeared into the administrator's office. Curious, she followed to see what they were up to. Hiding behind the door, she heard Mrs. Finnegan say something about assimilating and being thirsty. Chancing a peak, she watched in horror as the woman produced a straw from her purse, jamming it into Mister Stoker's neck as the two men held him down.

Ducking back, her mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do. Should she find the Doctor? She had no idea where he was and what if those weird rhino things found her first?

Slipping back out into the hall, she saw a patient wandering dazedly. Her eyes flicked to the 'X' on the back of his hand. Smiling, she approached him.

"Excuse me, but what's the 'X' on your hand for?"

He looked down at it for a moment, almost like he wasn't sure how his hand got there, let alone the 'X.' He frowned.

"It's how the space rhinos are cataloguing us, I think. Shows we're human."

"Ta."

Casting about, Rose ducked into another office and rifled through drawers.

"Come on, come on. Where is it?" Throwing papers all over, she smiled triumphantly as she pulled out a black marker. "Ha! Knew there had to be one in here somewhere."

Yanking the cap off with her teeth, she placed a large 'X' on her hand. Holding it out in front of her, she tilted her head and smiled.

"There, I'm human again, albeit temporarily."

Heading back into the hallway, she had to take a step back before being bowled over by Martha as she ran by, one of the leather-clad men hot on her heels. She was considering following her when she saw Mrs. Finnegan sneak off in another direction with the other leather man. Mind made up, she turned in the direction of the blood-sucker.

Turning a corner, Rose ran smack into one of the rhinos, causing her to stumble back slightly.

"Oh, sorry about that. Just trying to find my husband."

Her eyes went wide as it took out what looked like a scanner-slash-marker.

"Prepare to be catalogued."

Rose held up her hand. "You already got me, mate. See?"

It looked at her hand before looking back to her.

"You are correct. You may proceed."

She grinned. "Cheers!"

Squeezing past, she barely caught sight of Mrs. Finnegan before she slipped into the MRI room. Casting about for any sign of the Doctor, she made to follow the woman.

Rose stood outside the door, trying to figure out what she was going to do. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath as she pushed through the doors, opting for the 'wing it' option. It usually worked out for her. Occasionally. Okay, rarely, but those rare times were really good ones! God, even her thoughts sounded like the Doctor now.

She stumbled into the room, eyes wide, breathless.

"Giant rhinos! In the hospital! Have you ever seen such a thing?"

The woman behind the glass barely chanced a glance at Rose as she continued making adjustments.

"And we're on the moon! Of all things. We only came in here because my husband was having pains in his side. Thought it might be appendicitis. Ended up just being a bit of gas. Always said he was full of hot air."

Rose cast a nervous glance at the MRI as it crackled and sparked with electricity, jumping slightly as a bit of blue lightening lashed toward her.

"Say, uh, I don't think it's supposed to do that."

Mrs. Finnegan smiled pleasantly as she looked up at Rose. "Not normally, dear, but I require it for my needs."

Rose's eyebrows shot up. "Your needs? Blimey! What needs are those?"

The older woman waved a dismissive hand. "That's no concern of yours."

"Maybe not, but I'm sure those rhinos would be pretty concerned. Might interfere with their search. They've upped their scans as it is."

A brief look of concern flashed across Mrs. Finnegan's face. She nodded to someone behind Rose.

"Hold her."

Rose struggled as one of the leather men restrained her arms. How'd she forgotten he was in here, too? Her eyes widened in horror at the bloody straw in Mrs. Finnegan's hand.

"What're you doing?"

An evil smile spread across the woman's face.

"Well, dear, if they're upping their scans, I need to assimilate again. Can't have them finding me, now can I?"

Rose flinched as the straw was jammed into her neck. Her last thought as she lost consciousness was that Mrs. Finnegan was going to be very sorry when she got scanned again.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Hands clasped behind his back, Kalan stood silent against the back wall of the observation room. His eyes were trained on the limp, unconscious form of Kari as guards strapped her into the chair. Once secured, technicians stepped in, carefully cleaning away mud and blood before affixing the pads to her temples.

His eyes drifted to that of their fearless leader, Jaxon, who'd ordered the mind probe, not satisfied with her denial of the whereabouts of the Doctor. He watched as Jaxon looked through the two-way glass, standing much like himself, albeit less rigid; more relaxed. Kalan could see the man's reflection; a sick smile had formed on his face, almost as if he were enjoying the pain he was about to put Kari through.

Movement on the other side of the glass caused him to look back to the human prisoner. He sucked in a breath as he saw her regain consciousness, moaning and struggling against her restraints. He'd hoped she'd stay out the whole time.

Jaxon pressed a button on a nearby control panel, opening up the two-way comms unit.

"Do stay still, child. It will hurt less if you don't fight it."

Kari looked up at the glass, glaring, anger and hatred flashing through her eyes.

"What the fuck are you doing to me?" She yanked more on her cuffs. "Let me go! I've told you I don't know anything."

"Now, we both know that's not true, dear." Much to Kalan's surprise, Jaxon's smile grew, his eyes practically sparkling with anticipation. "Not knowing the whereabouts of the Doctor doesn't mean you don't know anything. As you seem to be unwilling to give us any information, we're just going to take it. I do hope that's alright."

Not waiting for an answer – an emphatic 'No!' – Jaxon gave a short nod to the waiting technicians. Within seconds of them flipping the switch, screams of pain echoed off the metal walls of the small room.

A lump formed in Kalan's throat as he watched Kari's back arch out wildly, blood dripping from her hands where her nails dug in. Fresh blood covered dried as the electricity they shot through her head aggravated the previous wound.

As quickly as it started, it stopped and her entire body went limp again but for the occasional spasm. Once she'd completely calmed, Jaxon moved to the monitors that displayed her most recent memories.

Kalan's eyes were glued on the girl. Her mouth hung open slightly, saliva mixed with even more blood as it dripped out, indicating she must've bit her tongue. Her head lolled, jumping occasionally whenever the technicians would fast forward or rewind a certain memory.

He had watched people get the mind probe before. Hell, he'd _ordered_ it several times. Numerous Ri'Ciaoans had gone through this efficient-yet-nasty information gathering process after not providing it willingly. But they had all been criminals; people who had done something wrong and knew full well what to expect.

Not Kari. She was an innocent caught up in a supposed search for justice. She didn't deserve this.

Kalan cast a glance toward Jaxon, a knot forming in his stomach at what he knew was a look of accomplishment. He did his best to hide his disgust when the man beckoned him to the terminal. Steeling himself, he moved to stand next to his superior.

Jaxon had his arms crossed over his chest as he studied the images on the screen. He nodded toward it, not looking at Kalan as he spoke.

"Do you recognize either of those two people?"

The knot tightened as he watched Kari's "quite lovely day" play out in front of him. Swallowing, he shook his head.

"No, sir, but I never saw the Doctor or Rose. Only Martha, who doesn't seem to be with them in this memory."

"Interesting." Jaxon drummed his fingers on his lips before reaching down and making some adjustments. Kalan's eyes flicked up to Kari quickly, just catching her whole body jolt. He cringed. "Is there anyone left from the team that performed this act of treachery?"

_Well, there is one…_ Clenching his jaw, Kalan tamped down the lump in his throat.

"No, sir, everyone has been eliminated, either in the escape itself or by your order."

Jaxon met Kalan's eyes briefly in their reflections in the monitor. A look Kalan couldn't identify crossed briefly across the other man's face before he gave a brief nod.

"No matter. We can find out easily enough if these are the murderers or not." He turned toward the technician next to him. "Scrutinize this memory. Do everything you can to identify the planet." Jaxon finally turned to look at Kalan. "Throw her in a cell." A disgusted sneer formed as he looked at Kari through the glass. "And for the love of the gods, have her hosed off and put in some decent clothes. Humans are bad enough when they're not filthy and half-naked."

"Immediately, sir." With a bow of his head, Kalan stepped back, making way for Jaxon to leave the observation room. He looked up with a raised brow at the sound of the general's voice.

"Oh, and Kalan, make sure this one doesn't escape. I would hate for you to meet the same fate as Velmir and your darling Jalal."

Moaning, Rose clutched her head as her eyes fluttered open. She stiffened as she realized she was in a bed and not on a hard floor. Looking around, she relaxed as her eyes landed on the various items in her room. Back on the TARDIS. Good.

She slowly sat up and put her feet on the floor. Her hands clenched the edge of her bed as she had a dizzy spell. How much blood had she lost?

Standing, she started to make her way to the bathroom when the TARDIS shook, taking off and landing quite quickly. She frowned. What was the Doctor up to? Balancing against her dresser, she slipped her trainers back on before heading toward the control room, having to catch herself once more on the way there.

Rose walked into the control room just as Martha walked up the ramp in astonishment, smiling as the medical student said the obligatory 'It's bigger on the inside!' and saw the Doctor mouth it behind her.

"Is it?" he asked in mock surprise before he caught sight of Rose. Beaming, he bounded passed Martha. "You're awake!" He gently held her by the arms and studied her face. "How're you feeling?"

Rose gave a half-smile. "Like I had my blood sucked by an old lady. What the hell was she?"

He let go of her arms and spun toward the console, swinging the scanner around. "A plasmavore. She was using human blood to mask her identity."

"Bet she was shocked to find out I'm not human."

Martha gasped. "You're not human, either?"

The Doctor didn't look up as he typed something into the scanner. "Nope. Well, not anymore."

Martha raised a confused eyebrow and looked to Rose. "Not anymore?"

Rose shrugged. "It's a long story. Short version is that I was born human, but now I'm the same as him. Sort of. It's complicated."

Martha nodded slowly. "Right. I get the feeling that's common ground when it comes to him."

"Oi! I'm right here!"

Rose grinned at him. "'S what you get for calling me 'wifey'."

Eyes narrowed, the Doctor flipped the hand brake, giving them no warning as the TARDIS lurched into motion, knocking both women to the floor. Walking over to her, he shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked down at her, tilting his head to one side.

"You alright, wifey?"

"Ass."

Beaming, he sauntered back to the console and continued piloting them to their next destination.

Pounding. So much pounding. What on earth was the Doctor working on to cause all that pounding? Wait, no, the pounding was in her head. Why was her head pounding? Had she and Rose gotten into the Kelekian wine again? No, they'd both vowed to never touch it again after they drank half a glass each and woke up five hours later in the middle of an apple orchard wearing brightly-colored floral dresses and sombreros. Took them an hour to find a way out. No, this wasn't a hangover.

She wasn't on the TARDIS, either. Captured. That's right. Blue force field, boots, guns, handcuffs. Gingerly, she raised her hand, surprised and pleased to find it wasn't restrained, and touched the side of her head. She winced as pain shot through her skull, causing the pounding to get louder, stronger. She'd been whacked on the head with a gun. Then what? She'd been pistol-whipped before; it had never caused this much of a headache.

Something else was odd. Something about her clothes. She placed a hand on her chest and ran her fingers along the fabric there. Buttons. Hadn't been wearing buttons earlier. Pajamas? Well, suppose that was better than her swimsuit.

The pounding had subsided slightly; not much, but enough to chance opening her eyes. Carefully, she cracked them open, closing them almost immediately as they were hit with the light in the room. So bright! Raising her hand to shield them, she opened them again, slowly, allowing them to adjust. As they did, a form started to come into focus. It spoke.

"Hello."

Kari squinted, trying to make out the form. It sounded like a woman; it was someone new. Someone she hadn't encountered yet. She licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak, only to find all she could do was cough from the dryness.

A hand slipped under her head, helping her to sit up, while another gently pressed something to her mouth.

"Here, drink this. It will help."

She raised a shaky hand to the cup, tilting it slightly. As the cool liquid hit her tongue, she grasped onto it with both hands, trying to take all of it in at once. The helping hand, which was much stronger, moved it away.

"Sips only. You'll get sick otherwise."

Kari whimpered as the cup was taken away from her. She was so thirsty! Why was she so thirsty? How long had it been since she'd drank anything, or eaten, for that matter? She was mildly surprised to find she wasn't hungry. Quite the opposite. She actually felt a bit queasy.

Moaning, she allowed the hand to lower her back onto the bed. Why wouldn't the pounding stop? What had they done to her? She couldn't think; it was too exhausting. Just sitting up had been a chore and she'd had help. Closing her eyes, she rolled over on her side, curling into a ball. Sleep. Maybe if she lay perfectly still, the pounding would quiet enough to let her sleep. Then she could figure out what was going on.

Gradually, the pounding receded to a dull throb, allowing her to relax slightly. Vaguely aware of the hand that was stroking her hair, Kari allowed herself to drift off. A quick nap; that was all she needed.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Martha groaned and rubbed her head as she accepted Rose's hand.

"Blimey, is that how it always is?"

Rose shook her head as she followed the Doctor out of the door. "Not normally, no." She ran a hand down the door, almost like she was trying to comfort the ship. "She's been landing a bit rougher ever since we started following the signal."

"What signal?"

Taking Rose's hand, the Doctor started walking down the alley they'd landed in. Martha had to jog to catch up, almost missing his response.

"The signal we're hoping will lead us to someone."

"Oh. Who?"

"A friend."

Rose glanced up at him, frowning slightly, before looking at Martha.

"Our friend, Kari, was taken a few days ago. We've been following this signal, hoping it takes us to her."

Martha's eyes grew wide. "Taken? What do you mean, taken?"

Stopping, the Doctor let go of Rose's hand and picked up what looked like a local newspaper. He frowned as he flipped through it, never looking up as he spoke.

"Just that. Alien planet, blue light, _poof_ gone." Folding the paper back, his eyes scanned a particular section as he mumbled to himself. "Hmm, interesting."

Rose strained to see what he was reading. "What is it?"

Quickly folding the paper, he tucked it under one arm and smiled, though Martha was sure it was fake.

"Nothing! Just reading my horoscope. Says to watch out for freak banana storms." He glanced up, looking almost hopeful before giving a slight pout. "Damn. Those are definitely orange clouds. No bananas coming from them."

Martha cast a glance up briefly, slightly surprised to see that the clouds really were orange, before looking at Rose, an eyebrow raised. She just shook her head and shrugged.

Putting the paper inside his coat – how big were his pockets? – the Doctor took Rose's hand again and continued down the street. He rubbed the back of his neck as he took in their surroundings.

"Rose, do you notice anything… odd?"

She looked up at him, frowning. "Not really. Why?"

He glanced down at her, eyebrows slightly raised, something that looked like concern crossing his features, before plastering that fake grin on his face again.

"No reason!"

Martha looked around and frowned. "Where is everyone?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Who knows? It's evening, so they might all be home having their tea. Or perhaps there's some big match on the telly. No way of knowing, really."

Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, Martha zoned out the two aliens and took in their surroundings. She had no idea where they were. For all she knew, it was just somewhere else on Earth. It looked like Earth: shops, restaurants, flats, cars. Things had odd names, but were in English.

Lost in her musings, she stopped at a street corner. Turning to ask the Doctor and Rose which way they should go, she found them gone. She spun around a few times, looking everywhere.

"Doctor? Rose?"

She jogged back the way they'd come for a bit, looking in windows and down alleys, but there was no sign of them. Walking back to the intersection, she placed her hands on her hips and scowled.

"Well, that's just lovely! Bring me to a strange place and dump me. Kari probably wasn't taken; you probably left her, too."

Hearing movement behind her, Martha spun around, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Just where the hell-" She was cut off as she came face-to-face with the barrel of a very large gun. Raising her hands slowly, she smiled, laughing nervously. "I don't suppose you know where the Doctor and Rose are, do you?"

The owner of the gun shook his head. "Don't know no one by those names and don't much care. Now turn around and start walking to that jeep over there. Commander Kalan wants a word with you."

Nodding, she slowly turned, the gun pressing into her back, pushing her forward. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder as she climbed in the vehicle, Martha did her best to fight the feeling that she'd not only been left, but set up.

Opening the door, Kalan was surprised to see one of the jail guards in Jaxon's office. He tensed as the man turned, met his gaze, and smiled.

"Kalan. So good to see you."

He nodded. "And you." He looked passed the guard to Jaxon. "Sir, if you're busy…"

Jaxon shook his head. "We were just finishing up. Blake, thank you for the information. Please keep me updated of any changes."

Giving a short nod, Blake turned and pushed passed Kalan, stopping in front of him.

"I'm offended, Kalan. I haven't met your new prisoner yet. I do hope I shall get the pleasure soon."

Raising a brow, Kalan watched the man leave before continuing into the office and sitting down. He flexed his hands a couple times, trying to relieve the tension that had built up over the last few hours. Taking a deep breath, he blew it out slowly as Jaxon looked up from what he was working on.

"What news do you have for me?"

"We studied the memory and are unable to identify the planet. It does not resemble any planets we have on record."

Jaxon nodded as he stood and began pacing behind his desk, hands clasped behind his back.

"Is there a chance it's in the past or future of one of our known planets?"

Kalan frowned. "Not that we're aware of, sir, though I'm not sure how we would be able to determine that information."

Jaxon waved a hand, continuing his pacing. "No matter. Even if we did, we wouldn't be able to get there at the right time. Have you determined who she was with?"

"Yes, sir. It was definitely the Doctor and Rose, but there was no mention of Martha. The technicians have a theory, sir."

"Oh?"

Kalan shifted slightly, a shiver running down his spine as he looked into slightly-mad eyes. "Well, sir, if the Doctor travels in time, they believe Kari was taken too early, from a point before they'd met Martha and came here."

"Interesting." The other man rubbed his chin, nodding slowly as he resumed pacing. "That is very interesting. I hadn't considered that possibility." He glanced at Kalan, eyebrow raised, when he cleared his throat.

"There's more to the theory, sir. They believe that, by taking Kari too early, we may have caused the Doctor to come here a week ago."

"Oh, now, that is fascinating! Our actions causing the actions that caused us to pursue the Doctor. I believe that is called a 'paradox.'" The same sick smile Kalan had seen in the observation room began forming, growing wider as Jaxon's pacing increased, instantly forgetting Kalan's presence in the room. "That lends the question of whether or not the Doctor _knew_ this when he came here. Did he know Kari wasn't here yet? And what roll does this Martha play, if any at all?" He stopped and turned toward the window, dropping into a speculative silence.

Carefully, Kalan stood. "What are your orders, sir?"

Jaxon startled, glancing over his shoulder. "Hmm, oh, yes, continue searching the prisoner's memories. Go as far back as possible; find out whatever you can. The Doctor _will_ come for her, and when he does, I want to be prepared."

Nodding though he knew the other man couldn't see it, Kalan turned and left the office, a dread washing over him as he contemplated what he was about to put Kari through.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The Doctor swallowed, foot tapping impatiently as he tried to avoid the glare Rose was burning into him. Rocking slightly, he glanced around.

"Nice rig they got here. Solid steel." He rapped his knuckles on the wall behind him. "Good and sturdy, this."

"Well that's a relief. Hate to think we were being held prisoner in a van made out of tissue paper."

He flinched. "Rose, I'm sorry. How was I supposed to know there was a curfew?"

She quirked an eyebrow. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe in that paper you picked up. I know you found something interesting in there. Care to share it with the class?"

"Rose, you're angry. I get it. But it's not like it's the first time we've been taken prisoner."

She tilted her head, looking at him like he'd dribbled on himself. "It's not that, Doctor. I'm used to us being taken prisoner. That's Tuesday for us. No, my problem is that you didn't even _try_ to resist or talk your way out of it. You just went with it! And what about Martha? She's out there, all alone, on a strange planet. Did you think about her?"

He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Yes, of course I have, Rose. I'm sure she's fine. She probably got picked up by soldiers, too, and will be there when we meet with the commander."

"What if she wasn't? What if someone else got to her? She just met us, has no reason to trust us." Rose frowned. "Why did you bring her with us, anyway? Do you really think it's a good idea to drag someone else into this search?"

The Doctor startled, blinking. He hadn't really thought about it; just seemed like the right thing to do. He shook his head, mirroring Rose's frown as he stared at the wall beyond her.

"I don't know. There was just something about her." His eyes focused back on her. "You're not angry about her coming with, are you?"

Rose deflated slightly, shaking her head. "No, I'm not. Don't understand it, but that's nothing new when it comes to you." She smiled when he huffed. "Don't try to pretend that you aren't constantly doing things that make no bloody sense at the time." She shrugged. "Generally works itself out in the end. I'm just worried about her, and Kari, of course."

He nudged her with his foot and smiled, doing his best to comfort her while having his hands cuffed behind him.

"We'll find her, Rose. Both of them. I promise."

She nodded, fighting back tears. "Yeah, I know."

He leaned his head back against the wall of the van, eyes closed, as he tried to gain a bit more focus on the timelines. They were so convoluted; it was giving him a headache. Opening his eyes slightly, he watched Rose, curious if she could see it, too. She should. But would she know it if she did? He sighed, letting his eyes slip closed again.

"Doctor?"

He quirked a brow, opening an eye. "Hmm?"

"Earlier, you asked me if I thought anything was odd." She frowned, worrying her lip. Sitting up, he gave her his full attention, nodding for her to continue. "Ever since we got here, I've had this knot in my stomach. I just figured it was the search for Kari, but now…" She shook her head and met his gaze. "I don't know. It's weird. Feels like I'm car sick." She gave a short laugh and looked at the ceiling. "Probably just from riding in this thing."

The Doctor opened his mouth to respond when the vehicle came to a halt, rocking them both to the side before settling back down. Glancing quickly at the door, he met Rose's gaze.

"It's not motion sickness, Rose." His eyes flicked to the doors again as they flew open. "I'll explain as soon as I can, okay? Just don't fight it."

Eyes wide, she nodded as they were dragged out of the van. Surrounded by soldiers, he gave little resistance as they were led down a hallway. Periodically, he'd glance at Rose, relieved to see that she was doing what she normally did, taking in the scenery. He looked at the soldier at his left elbow.

"So who's this commander, anyway? Why does he want to see us when all we did was break curfew? Surely that just deserves a slap on the wrist and sent to bed without dessert." The soldier tightened his grip on the Doctor's arm in response. He pouted. "Ah, come on! Nothing? Not even a 'silence, scum!' Well you're no fun." He looked to his right when he felt Rose bump her shoulder into him. His hearts clenched as she smiled up at him, tongue caught in her teeth. He loved that smile. Beaming, he bumped her back.

"Stop poking the bear, Doctor. Least they're not just throwing us in a cell."

He raised his eyebrows. "How do we know that wouldn't be the ideal situation, Rose?"

She shrugged. "Don't. Just usually a good sign when we're taken to their leader first."

Both were silenced as their escorts jerked their arms, causing them to choke back laughter. They remained in silence until they were brought into an office with a large, imposing man behind the desk. He stood as they entered.

"I am Commander Tanar of the Royal Guard. How did you get your ship onto Ri'Ciao without going through one of the ports?"

The Doctor smiled, stepping forward. "Hello! I'm the Doctor and this is Rose Tyler." He glanced around the office. "Ri'Ciao! Haven't been here in ages." Frowning, he looked back at Tanar. "Royal Guard? What happened to the democracy I helped setup? Oh, unless this is before that!"

Tanar glared. "Answer the question! How did you get onto Ri'Ciao without clearance?"

"Same way I normally get onto planets. I landed. Why? Is that not how you do it here?"

Rose bit back a giggle as Tanar rubbed the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes closed. The man took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Opening his eyes, he leveled a gaze on the Doctor.

"Ri'Ciao is on the eve of civil war and thus on planetary lockdown. No one is allowed on or off planet without clearance through one of four highly guarded ports. Ships shouldn't even be able to enter our atmosphere outside of those areas, let alone land."

The Doctor nodded as he started to wander around the office.

"Well, see, there's the problem. My ship just kind of appears; doesn't need to enter the atmosphere." He turned back toward Tanar. "Civil war? Last time I was here, Ri'Ciao was about fifteen years into one. If this is the start of that one, we need to go. Now."

Tanar shook his head. "You're not making any sense. We haven't had a civil war here in a hundred years. There's no way you could've been here for that."

Turning to look at a picture on the wall, the Doctor tilted his head. Nodding toward it, he spoke over his shoulder. "Lan Plat. First elected leader of Ri'Ciao. Taken on the day he was sworn in." Moving to another, he glanced over his shoulder to Rose. "Anyone in the picture look familiar?"

Moving to stand by him, she studied it for a moment before her eyes went wide. "Is… Is that Sarah Jane?"

He smiled. "Yup. And that bloke next to her, all hair, eyes, and teeth? That's me!"

She looked between him and the picture a couple of times. Tilting her head, she bit her lip. "I can see it. Although, that scarf…"

"Oi! That scarf was great! Helped me out of a lot of jams. Loved it so much, had a second one made to match my hat and coat."

Rose looked up at him. "Has there ever been a version of you that wasn't vain?"

He was about to respond when a throat cleared behind them. Turning, he smiled at a very annoyed Tanar. "Right. Sorry. Just reminiscing a bit. Always an interesting trip down memory lane." Smile dropping, he pulled himself to his full height. "What's going on here, Tanar? Why are you on the verge of another civil war? And what happened to the democracy Sarah and I helped bring in?"

Tanar looked him up and down, studying him. Shaking his head, he turned toward the soldiers in the room.

"Take them away. Throw them in one of the cells in the lower levels." He turned back toward the Doctor and Rose. "I think I need a bit of time to figure out what to do with you two."

The Doctor beamed at Rose as they were led out of the office.

"Look, Rose! We're being taken to that cell you mentioned earlier."

"Oh, gee, just what I've always wanted."

He bumped her shoulder. "Hey, could be worse. At least we're not being sent to be executed."

Sighing, she shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Remember that bear you were poking earlier? I think I just heard it growl."

"Nah, that was my stomach. I'm famished!"


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Martha looked around the small room she'd been left in God-knows how long ago. There was nothing but a table and two chairs, one of which she was handcuffed to. Looked like one of those interrogation rooms from the telly. It even had the two-way glass. She glared at it.

"I hope you're enjoying yourselves! Least you could do is bring me some water."

She jumped as the door opened and another large, purple man came in. He smiled, showing a mouth full of very sharp teeth, as he took the seat across from her.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I am Commander Kalan of the resistance. And you are?"

"Martha Jones. Why are you keeping me here?"

Kalan leaned back in his chair, hands folded easily on the table, as he studied her.

"All in good time, Miss Jones. First, I'd like you to tell me how you came to our planet."

_In a weird, blue box._ "A spaceship, how else?"

"Yes, but how did you land without getting clearance? Hell, you didn't even go through one of the designated ports. You just… appeared."

Martha sighed. "Look, I don't know how it works. I was just a passenger. You'd have to ask the Doctor."

Kalan startled slightly before regaining composure. "Who is this Doctor?"

She shook her head. "Honestly, I have no idea. He and his wife or girlfriend or whatever she is helped save the hospital I work in, then invited me to travel with them. Next thing I know, some alarm is going off and we're here."

"And where is he now?"

"Beats me. We were walking down the street and they just up and disappeared."

He nodded, drumming his fingers on the table. "Who's the other person in your group?"

"Her name's Rose." Martha tugged on her restraints slightly. "Look, I get that we might be trespassing or whatever, but your guards checked me. I have no weapons and don't know how to fight. Can you at least take these off?"

He studied her a moment more before standing. Moving around the table, he undid her cuffs and sat back down.

"Better?"

She rubbed her wrists. "Much. Now what the hell is the deal? What did I do wrong?"

Kalan shook his head. "If everything you're telling me is true, nothing, really, short of breaking curfew. It's the Doctor that broke through our defenses. I wouldn't be surprised if the Royal Guard picked him and Rose up right before my men got you. One of the few things both sides are diligent at is picking up law breakers, though for very different reasons."

Martha shuddered as she considered what those reasons might be. Trying to hide her anxiety, she crossed her legs and arms and leaned back in her chair.

"Is there a way to find out? Sooner we're all back together, sooner we can leave your planet."

He nodded. "We have someone on the inside at the capitol that lets us know when new prisoners arrive, specifically off-worlders. One of my men has been trying to contact them to find out."

She raised a brow. "And if they have been taken prisoner?"

"We'll help to rescue them." He smiled again, sending chills down her spine. "At a price, of course."

Jalal smiled as she glanced at the sleeping human, happy she had finally calmed. The last few hours had plagued her with sickness and nightmares. The tension had gradually left her body sometime in the last half hour, finally slipping into a restful sleep.

She stroked her thumb over Kari's hand as she flipped through the book in her lap. The constant physical contact had seemed to help. Anytime Jalal had removed it, whether it be from stroking her hair or holding her hand, the young girl's demons would return.

Her grip tightened on Kari's hand when she heard the cell door unlock.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Jalal."

She relaxed slightly, smiling at the sound of her husband's voice. Watching Kari, she carefully removed her hand, eyes never leaving her as she stood and went to Kalan. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she finally looked up at him.

"Hello, my love."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, his eyes grew wide as he took in her split lip. "Jalal! What happened?"

She shook her head. "It is nothing. I got too close during one of her nightmares and she hit me. I'm fine."

Studying her with concern for a moment, his gaze shifted to the sleeping human. "How is she?"

"Calm, finally. Please tell me you're not here to take her away again."

Kalan sighed, pulling her to him. "Not right now, no. But Jaxon does want us to continue searching her memories. He wants to be prepared for when the Doctor comes for her."

"Prepared for what?"

He shook his head, placing a kiss to her hair. "I don't know, love. I thought this was about the murder of Jessup and Malek, but it seems to be much more than that. I just wish I knew what."

Snorting, Jalal pulled away, moving over to check on Kari, running a soothing hand down her hair.

"Please. He was going to execute them, anyway. I would think he'd be happy the responsibility of their death had been taken out of his hands."

Running his hands through his hair, he began pacing the small cell. Sitting on the edge of Kari's bed, Jalal watched the tension and stress radiate off of her husband, fists clenched tight at his sides.

"I don't know, Jalal! It's like he's getting some sort of sick pleasure out of torturing Kari. You should have seen the smile on his face before he activated the probe. His eyes were _gleaming_. And I have no idea what he has in mind for the Doctor when he arrives."

Stroking a hand down Kari's hair again, Jalal stood and went back to her husband, pulling him into a hug. She ran calming hands up and down his back, surprised by the quiet sobs emitting from him.

"Shh, my love. I know you will do everything you can to protect her."

Kalan gave a short laugh as he pulled away, tilting her chin up to look at him.

"You have such faith in me. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

She smiled and grabbed both sides of his face.

"Nothing, dear, and I love you in spite of it."

Kalan paced the floor of their quarters, casting the occasional glance toward his wife.

"No, Jalal, it's too dangerous. You'll get yourself killed. Or worse, captured and tortured."

She took a step toward him. "Kalan, I don't have a choice! This is our opportunity to prove we can regain balance without launching into a full blown war. Velmir is the only one selected that's not part of the faction, and you know as well as I do how stupid he is. It will be quite easy to put him on some benign thing like keeping watch while the rest of us get the President to a safe hiding place."

He stopped pacing and stepped into Jalal, grabbing her by the arms.

"Allowing that buffoon anywhere near this is only one of the many flaws in your plan. What are you going to do with the President once you capture him? Do you seriously think he's going to listen to a bunch of poor resistance soldiers about restoring balance after they've taken him hostage and released some of his prisoners?"

"We're not taking him hostage! We just want to get him to a safe, secure location so as to negotiate peace. You know what will happen to Ri'Ciao if Jaxon gets his way. The streets will run with the blood of our people, rich and poor, young and old. It won't matter! I've heard stories from Jessup and Malek; terrifying stories. Their father is a mad man! Is that who you want ruling over our people?"

Kalan pulled her into a hug, tucking her head under his chin. "Oh, my love! There's nothing I can say or do that will stop you, is there?"

Jalal wrapped her arms around him and shook her head. "No, dear, there isn't. I know the risk involved, just as you know the risk of commanding an entire army. Helping Martha rescue her friends and get off planet is the best chance we have of getting into the capitol and to the President."

He sighed. "I know. I just hate the idea of sending you on what is essentially a suicide mission."

She pulled away and looked up at him. "You're not. I'm volunteering to go. This is my _choice_. I have to do this, not just for Ri'Ciao, but for us and our future children. I don't want them to grow up in a world run by a murderous lunatic."

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Fine. Go. Just please be careful. And if you have the choice between instant death and torture…" He trailed off, his voice caught in his throat as he contemplated the possibilities.

Jalal returned his smile. "Thank you. I love you."

He pulled her tight against him again, burying his face in her hair. Hot tears streamed down his face as he choked on words he'd said hundreds of times before, knowing full well this could be the last.

"I love you, too."


	9. Chapter 8

**TRIGGER WARNING:** Choking

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Kari wasn't sure what had woken her up: the dull throb in her head, the unknown hand holding hers, or the itch in the bottom of her foot. She was pretty sure it was the itch. Groaning, she put her free hand to her head, sitting up slightly.

"Oh, God, my head! What happened?"

"You had a mind probe used on you."

Her entire body tensed, as much by the unfamiliar voice as by the information it had given her. Rubbing her forehead, she allowed whoever it was to help her finish sitting up, for once grateful for bare feet on a cold, metal floor. That itch was really annoying.

Kari leaned her elbows on her knees, taking deep breaths as waves of dizziness and nausea came over her. This all felt oddly familiar, though she wasn't sure why. Once they had seemed to ease off, she slowly opened her eyes, frowning at her clothed form.

"I'm dressed. Why am I dressed?" She held a foot out, tilting it from side to side. "And I'm not covered in mud." Turning toward the source of the voice, she looked up, squinting against the light. "What's going on? Where am I?"

The owner of the voice smiled softly, though Kari could sense their concern.

"I am Jalal. You are in a jail cell on Ri'Ciao. What is the last thing you remember?"

Kari scrubbed her hands up and down her face. Her thoughts were scattered and it felt like her brain was swimming in pea soup. She shook her head slightly as she looked at the floor.

"I don't know. It's all muddled. I remember a blue light, men with guns. Purple people with big, sharp teeth." She turned to look at Jalal again, noting her split lip as her eyes came more into focus. She gave a quick smile. "No offense."

Jalal laughed slightly and shook her head. "None taken. Our teeth are rather sharp and intimidate even us." She placed a comforting hand on Kari's arm, surprising her not in the action, but in the familiarity of it. "Can you remember anything else?"

"There was a room. I was strapped to a chair. But there was something before that. A man. A really pissed off man." As the memory started to clarify, Kari gently raised a hand to her temple, flinching and hissing in pain as her fingertips made contact with the gash. "He hit me when I wouldn't – couldn't – tell him what he wanted to know."

"That would be our _leader_, Jaxon. Do you remember what it was he wanted to know?"

Kari nodded as she looked down at Jalal's hand on her arm, squeezing slightly when she mentioned Jaxon. Her hatred for the man was barely contained, hidden just under the almost overwhelming concern she had for Kari. The dueling emotions only added to the fog in her mind.

"He wanted to know where the Doctor was, but I didn't know. Still don't." Tears flooded her eyes as a wave of despair crashed over her. Her whole body shook as she buried her head in her hands, sobbing. She allowed Jalal to pull her into a hug, her mind a mess of confusion, anger, and loneliness. Taking a couple deep, shuddering breaths, Kari wiped tears away as the emotional tidal wave subsided. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just felt so… scared all of a sudden."

Jalal rocked her, stroking a hand down her hair. "Shh, it's okay. No need to apologize. It's one of the many unfortunate side-effects of the mind probe."

Kari pulled away, finally sitting up and looking at Jalal properly. "You mentioned that earlier, when I woke up. Is that what happened when I was strapped to the chair?"

For the first time since Kari had awoken, Jalal's features matched her emotions as she nodded sadly. "Yes, it is. It is something my people use on criminals when they refuse to give information willingly. It is incredibly messy and dangerous and not at all designed for humans. They have no idea how it will affect you, for how long, or how badly."

Nodding again, Kari placed her hands on the edge of the bed and pushed herself up, wobbling slightly. She needed to move. Her body was stiff. Placing a steadying hand on a nearby sink, Kari frowned as she let another dizzy spell fade.

"How long was I out?"

"I would say about three hours in all, from what Kalan has told me."

Kari stiffened, anger rising at the name. He'd been the first person she'd encountered when she was brought here. She angled her head slightly toward Jalal, teeth clenched as much in anger as in pain as her head began to throb again.

"So is that why you're in here with me, asking all these questions?" She slowly turned toward Jalal. "A mind probe wasn't enough? They wanted to get me when I was vulnerable. Catch me with my guard down and hope I gave them more information than they were getting." Anger turned to rage as she launched herself at Jalal, knocking her to the bed, pinning her down as she wrapped her hands around the other woman's throat. Hot tears streamed down her face as she continued to rant, ignoring the tiny voice in her head that was telling her to stop. "When will you get it through your thick skulls that I don't know! I don't know where we were. I don't know _when_ we were!" Her grip tightened, lifting and banging Jalal's head against the bed, emphasizing each word. "_I. Don't. Know!_"

Suddenly a fog seemed to clear and Kari realized what she was doing. Staring down at Jalal in horror, her eyes were met with ones full of fear and compassion, one of them recently blackened. Letting go of her throat, Kari scrambled off the bed, stumbling backwards onto another one. Shaking, she pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she rocked, terrified. She shook her head.

"Oh God, oh God. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. I just… and you said… and he…" She buried her face in her knees, sobbing hysterically. "Fuck! What is wrong with me?" Startled, her head flew up when she felt Jalal's hand on her arm. Pushing her away, Kari scrambled back into a corner. "Stay away! Don't touch me!"

Lying on her side, Kari curled up in a ball, confused, scared, and more than a little terrified of what she'd done. Groping about, she found a blanket and pulled it over her, hiding herself away, hoping she could make herself invisible.

Her head was pounding again, vague images flashing through her mind; memories she didn't remember making. Cold sweats, vomiting, kicking and punching someone, screams of terror, though she wasn't sure who they belonged to. She whimpered in pain as violent sobs turned to silent tears. What had they done to her?

Turning her face into the bed, tears sprang anew as she whispered a prayer to the universe.

"Please, Doctor, find me. Find me before they turn me into a monster."

Martha jumped up when she heard the cell door click, preparing herself for anything as it opened. Much to her surprise, she was greeted by the smiling face of a female Ri'Ciaoan. She raised a brow.

"Who're you?"

The woman bowed her head. "I am Jalal. Please, have a seat, we have much to discuss."

Eying her warily, Martha sat back down on the bed and crossed her arms over her chest. Jalal sat opposite, maintaining a calm smile as she observed Martha's defensive stance. She chuckled, much to Martha's annoyance.

"You have every right to be leery of me, Martha Jones, but I assure you I am not here to harm you. Quite the opposite. I'm here to discuss the rescue of your friends and your escape from this planet."

She gave a short laugh. "Right. Like you lot are going to let us get away. Pull the other one."

Jalal frowned, confused. "I'm not sure what that means, but I assume by your tone that you don't believe me. Again, you have every right not to trust me, which is why I'm here. I believe it best to provide you with full disclosure of the plan."

Sighing, Martha relaxed slightly. "Fine, I'll humor you. What's this 'plan'?"

Jalal's eyes flashed as a determination rose in her; determination fueled by anger. The drastic and quite sudden change startled Martha, causing her to sit up a little straighter and be a bit more willing to listen.

"Our planet is on the verge of a civil war. For close to fifty years, our elected officials have gradually become more and more corrupt, leading to the less fortunate being pushed farther down. We are tired of being oppressed and trodden on and are thus beginning to rise up. We are organized. We have a leader and a military. However…" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, knuckles white as her hands fisted in her lap. "This leader is very power hungry; more so than the current elected officials in the capitol. His solution is to assassinate our President, essentially forcing the elite to go into battle. There is a faction within the resistance that does not agree with this approach. We believe in using diplomacy first and violence as a last resort."

Martha nodded slowly. "Can't disagree much with that. But where do I come in?"

"I have been chosen to lead a unit into the capitol to rescue your friends and assassinate the President. I have also been granted the privilege of choosing my own team. Thus, with one exception, it will consist of members of the peace faction. Our plan is to go in and use the rescue of your friends as a cover while we get the President to a safe, secure location in order to instigate negotiations. Once we have freed them, we intend on getting you all back to your ship and safely off this planet."

Martha frowned. "Okay, and what happens to you when you don't come back with us?"

Jalal shook her head. "Don't worry about that. That will be my concern. Yours should be about getting to your friends and getting away from here alive." Standing, she moved to sit next to Martha, taking one of her hands. "This battle is not yours, Martha. It is ours. No one else should have to fight it or be caught up in it. It's part of why our boarders are closed. You and your friends _need_ to get away from here before it's too late."

Martha looked down at their conjoined hands and nodded. "Yeah, okay." Looking back up, she smiled as she met the other woman's eyes. "Let's save your President and get me the hell off this planet!"


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The Doctor's eyes followed Rose as she paced their cell, occasionally shooting glares at him as he sat against the wall. He sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"Rose, will you please stop pacing? All you're doing is wearing a hole in the floor."

She glared at him again as she quickened her steps.

"So? Wearing a hole in the floor is still more than you're doing to get us out of here."

"I've told you, there's nothing more I _can_ do. We have to wait it out."

Stopping suddenly, she stalked toward him, glowering. Placing her hands on her hips, he winced internally at how much she looked like Jackie in that moment.

"Yeah, about that. _Why_ can't you do anything? You haven't even tried to get us out of here! As soon as they threw us in, you sat your skinny arse down and declared there was nothing more to do. That we had to _wait_! Since when do we wait? And just what the hell are we waiting for?"

He studied her for a moment, saying nothing. "Rose, please. Sit down."

"Fine." Turning, she took the few short steps to the only bed in the cell and flopped down on it, engulfing her in a cloud of dust. Crossing her arms and legs, she tilted her head, her gaze almost challenging even as her eyes watered from the dust. "There. Better?"

He watched her for a few seconds, the defiant glare that was clearly meant to intimidate him, to reinforce her point that she was demanding an answer. He almost (but not quite) managed to hold back a smile as she fought so hard not to sneeze at the dust she'd kicked up. Looking away, he stood and crossed slowly, looking through the bars of the cell, up and down the walkway outside as far as he could see. No guard. He could open the cell easily; he had his screwdriver. He knew it. She knew it. He turned away from the bars and took a few meandering steps closer to her before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

She scooted away from him, finally wiping some of the dust off of her face. Raising an eyebrow, she continued to maintain her defiant stance.

"Well?"

He turned to look at her, studying her curiously. "Can't you feel it, Rose?"

"Feel what?"

Eyes locked on her, he watched for any hint of recognition on her face. "It doesn't feel wrong to you? Not at all?"

She scrutinized him for a moment, confused. "Yeah, a little. So?"

Still watching her face, he slid his hand over hers - physical contact with an object that was absolutely fixed in time. He was a point in time that would make all of the fluctuations around them stand out in stark contrast.

"How about now?"

Her eyes grew wide as she pulled her hand away. "What the hell was that?"

"The temporal anomalies around you. Well, I say anomalies." He looked away, up and down at the walls and ceiling of the tiny cell. "Not really anomalies. Not yet. They're still fluid."

Tentatively, she placed her hand on his, tensing as it all hit her again. Slowly, she followed his gaze around the cell, her voice barely above a whisper. "Wow." She met his eyes, hers full of awe. "It still amazes me that this is how you always see things."

He smiled knowingly and let her explore her new-found extra senses for a moment before he spoke.

"Do you know _why_ it feels like this?"

She shook her head slowly, silent as she continued to look around the cell in wonder.

He watched her for a moment longer, then shifted, pulling one knee up onto the bed as he turned to her. "Face me."

Taking a moment longer to marvel at the walls, she turned toward him, a tongue-tinted smile forming. "You're gonna show me, aren't ya?"

The Doctor gave her a patient look, but didn't answer. Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and touched her temples lightly, feeling out her mental defenses for a moment before uttering softly, "Contact."

Taking a deep breath, Rose released it slowly as she let her eyes slide closed. "Contact."

He moved very carefully, slowly past the boundaries of her mind. He didn't want to hurt her. Open contact with an inexperienced partner was intense on the best of days. They'd been training; working on her ability to control her new senses, but had never put it to any practical use. He didn't want to overwhelm her already heightened sense of alarm.

"Tell me what you feel."

"A kind of shifting? Like pieces being moved around. And a general wrongness. Is this what's been causing that feeling of motion sickness?"

"Probably." A flicker of wandering thoughts distracted him for just a moment, but he quickly brought his mind back into line with his purpose. "Can you tell what's out of place? Is it the whole situation or is it just the fact that we're in it?"

"I... I'm not sure. It's almost like it's a bit of both. Like us being here is accelerating events, but at the same time, they're supposed to happen now." Her hands found his wrists and squeezed, dizzy from the contact and needing to find grounding. "Sorry."

He almost flinched at the touch, his senses heightened by hers in the mutual experience of their awareness. He heard and felt and smelled and sensed everything around him in double - amplifying it for her but nearly overwhelming him in the process. The feel of her hands on his wrists wouldn't have even made it to his awareness any other time. But the feel of her warmth was mingled with the cool of his own skin on her fingers - a simple touch that was somehow so much more intimate. It didn't help that she felt it too, and that it made her - and therefore his - thoughts wander.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, she removed her hands and cleared her throat. "Right, so, about this wrongness."

It was a bit harder to get his thoughts back on track this time. "You said you can see the pieces moving around. If you put them in the right order, can you tell which one comes first? You don't have to see what the pieces _are_ just... can you see the order they go in?"

"Yeah, a bit. There are chunks missing. Like they'll be filled in later."

He nodded slowly, letting her lead and following her thoughts. "That first piece. It's attached to another piece, yes? The first piece is the effect. A piece that comes later in the sequence is the cause."

She frowned. "How does that work? Shouldn't it be the other way 'round?"

"Should be."

"So then why isn't it?"

"Think about why we're here. Just think. Don't try to see it because you can't; it's not fortune telling. Why we came here..."

She was silent for a long time, searching her thoughts. He felt her realization before she voiced it. "Oh..."

He smiled. "Very good."

"So, we're here because Kari was taken, but Kari was taken because we're here?" She grabbed his wrists again as another dizzy spell hit her. She took a couple deep breaths before continuing, her grip loosening slightly. "How're we supposed to know when she's going to be here?"

Her dizzy spell hit him, too. But he pulled it under control quickly, pressing his fingers a little firmer to her temples and his mind a little closer to hers, stabilizing each other.

"We don't." He took in a deep breath, and another wave of distraction hit him. Her scent - soft and warm and so close. "Like I said, it's not fortune telling." He should pull away. He was done here. He didn't want to pull away...

Rose drew in a shuddering breath, no doubt finding her own distractions. A shiver went through him as her thumbs absently drew patterns on the insides of his wrists. He should really pull away now...

"Right, not fortune telling. So we just keep hopping around?"

The brush of her thumbs on the sensitive insides of his wrists seemed amplified a hundred times over, echoing back and forth between them. A sensation she caused, and he felt, and she felt him feel, and he felt her presence all the more in his mind. Something so simple. Something so intimate... He drew in another deep breath, barely hearing her question. He'd meant for it to steady him. Instead, it filled his awareness with the heady scent of her pheromones. It was everything he could do to hold back a groan as he let them swirl through his mind.

Shifting slightly, she removed one of her hands, gently running her fingertips down the side of his face, along his jaw, and down his neck before resting her hand on his chest. He could barely hear her voice, laced with concern, confusion, and desire, through the overwhelming presence of _her_.

"Doctor? Are you okay?"

His breathing was a bit heavier. He couldn't prevent it. Slowly, he opened his eyes and locked them on hers. She could feel what he felt; it was only a half-step more to give her access to what he thought, to the images that flashed across his mind. It was a place he kept instinctively guarded - the privacy of his inner thoughts, a place that so few people had ever touched and so many had tried to access by force. Over the years, he'd gotten very good at protecting it. The thought of lowering his guard, letting her in, was almost frightening. But the look in her eyes was anything but a threat, and she could already feel his hearts racing - both against her hand and in his chest. If she gave it any thought, she could figure out why all on her own. And his resolve was weakening as his awareness of her grew stronger. Slowly, cautiously, he lowered his defenses, inviting her inside.

Her eyes searched his, head tilted slightly, almost questioning, asking for permission even though he'd already given it to her. Tentatively, she entered his mind. Suddenly, she was hit with the image of his hand tangled in her long, blond hair. Simultaneously, a very real heat pooled at her core. Gasping, Rose backed out, blinking, chest heaving.

"Um... I... yeah. Wow."

He dropped his hands instantly, as if he'd just touched a flame. "Sorry." Looking anywhere but at her, he moved back slightly. "Sorry."

She reached forward and carefully took his hands, squeezing tightly as he tried to pull away.

"There's no need to apologize. It's okay. I was just caught off guard. Our training was never that… intense."

He shook his head, still refusing to look at her. "I never should've showed you that."

Smiling, she cupped the side of his face, turning him to face her. "Who says I don't want to see that?"

He frowned, unsure. "Really?"

"Really." Taking both of his hands, she placed them at her temples again and gave him an encouraging smile. "Please, Doctor, I _want_ to see more."

Searching her eyes one last time for any sign of doubt, he took a deep breath and allowed his to slide closed again. Releasing the breath, he was about to reestablish contact as the cell door flew open. Both of them jumped up, blushing, feeling as though they'd been caught as Martha and two Ri'Ciaoans burst in the cell. For the first time, the Doctor noticed the commotion in the hall: shouting, running, gunfire. Martha looked them both up and down, an eyebrow raised.

"You two ready to go?"

Exchanging a quick glance with Rose, he swept up his coat and plastered on his most convincing smile.

"We were born ready. What took you so long?"


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Enter."

Jaxon turned from the window as his office door opened, smiling as the two Unvossians entered. He gestured toward the seats across from his desk.

"Welcome, L'Nay. Please, have a seat."

Nodding, she sat as the other took post by the door.

"Thank you, Jaxon. I hope you are doing well?"

Taking a seat at his desk, he returned the nod as he folded his hands neatly and leaned back.

"I am, thank you. And you?"

"The same. And the human prisoner? What is your progress with her?"

"She just finished her second round with the mind probe. It has confirmed your suspicions that the Doctor is a Time Lord. The last one, apparently. There was another one – the Master – who appears to have changed his face before meeting his demise. It's not clear what happened to him."

L'Nay nodded. "Yes, the Time Lords were known for their ability to regenerate. It allows them to cheat death. There are few ways to permanently kill one."

Jaxon raised a brow. "Really? So that would explain why the Doctor in our history and this Doctor have two different faces. Fascinating!" He leaned forward. "You said there are few ways to kill them. I take it you know those ways?"

"As legend has it, either instant brain death or penetration of both of their hearts should do it." L'Nay smiled, an almost gleeful mischievousness flashing in her eyes. "My recommendation would be to do both. Better to be safe than sorry."

"Indeed." He leaned back again. "How goes the progress of leading him here?"

She inclined her head. "That is part of why I am here. We're close, but we need a blood sample from the prisoner. The Doctor's TARDIS should be well acquainted with her DNA. By adding her biological signature, it should be able to lock on to the beacon easier, bringing him to the correct time and place."

Jaxon waved a hand. "That will be easy. She has bled all over the mind probe room, or, if you need it fresh, I will send one of our medics into her cell to draw it for you."

"Fresh would be preferred. Collecting it after it has fallen runs risk of contamination."

His eyes flicked to the door as another knock came. "Yes, of course. I will send someone to collect it immediately. Approximately how much do you need?"

L'Nay shrugged as she stood. "A standard vial should do nicely. I will be waiting in my quarters; please have it brought there."

Standing, he nodded as he circled around his desk. "At once." He led her to the door, bowing his head as he opened it. "It has been a pleasure, L'Nay."

"And ours, Jaxon." Returning his bow, the Unvossians left his office, bowing also to Blake as he waited patiently for them to leave.

Meeting the guard's eyes, Jaxon gestured into his office. "Please, enter, Blake. What news do you have for me?"

Watching after the aliens for a moment, Blake entered the office, standing at attention behind a chair.

"I have news on Kalan's wife, Jalal, sir. As suspected, she is still alive. I heard Kalan talking to her while in the human prisoner's cell and saw her when they removed Kari for her most recent mind probe. There is also rumor that the technicians caught glimpses of Jalal in Kari's recent memories before Kalan ordered them to fast forward to where they'd left off the first time."

Jaxon closed the door, bowing his head slightly as he worked to contain his anger. His hand tightened on the handle as his blood boiled; betrayed by his own Commander. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly before turning toward his desk. Sitting, he looked up at the guard and smiled.

"Thank you, Blake. Your information has been most helpful. Is the prisoner back in her cell?"

Blake nodded. "Yes, sir. She will be collected again in three hours for another round with the probe." The man shifted slightly and swallowed. "There is something else, sir."

His smile tightened as he flexed his hands. "Yes, what is it?"

"The prisoner has become violent, sir. When she's awake, that is. She assaulted two of our guards while they were escorting her to her second session and bit another while they were strapping her in, taking a large chunk of flesh from his arm. We've never seen a mind probe cause violence to this extent, at least not after only one session."

Leaning back in his chair, Jaxon's smile turned genuine. "Thank you, Blake. That has to be some of the best news I've heard all day."

The guard frowned. "Sir?"

"Don't you see? The violence is usually triggered by the person or persons viewed as the aggressor. If she's this violent toward our guards now, imagine what she would do to her precious Doctor if she thought _he_ had caused this?" Standing, he began pacing, ideas swirling through his mind. It was almost too much! Spinning on his heel, he stormed up to Blake, startling the young man. "I want to be there for her next session. I want to speak to her while she's unconscious."

"Yes, sir. Shall I send someone for you when Kari's retrieved from her cell?"

"Before. I want to be waiting for her." He spun away again. "Oh, this will be glorious! Killing the Doctor would be reward enough, but to have it happen at the hand of his companion? Magnificent!" Taking his spot at the window again, he waved a hand over his shoulder. "You're dismissed, Blake. Oh, and send a medic to the girl's cell. We need a vial of blood drawn and taken to the Unvossians immediately."

Jaxon barely heard the man leave through all of the chaos in his mind. He'd wanted the Doctor to pay for his crimes against Ri'Ciao for as long as he could remember. Until a week ago, he'd only ever dreamed of what he would do if they ever met. Now, it seemed he had a secret weapon, all wrapped up nicely in the form of one human girl.

A smile spread across his face as he looked out over the smoking ruins of the capitol.

"Soon, Doctor. Soon you shall pay for what you have done to us; for a century of oppression and slavery under the rule of our 'elected' officials. And it will come by the hand of someone you trust."

Rose pressed herself against the wall, holding her breath, her double heartbeat thrumming in her ears as the most recent stream of guards ran passed them. She watched the Doctor, afraid to move an inch until he gave the all clear. Her breath escaped her lungs as he gave the nod and they continued toward the TARDIS.

Everything around her was swirling, chaotic, and not just because of their prison break. With every step she took, another piece of the puzzle fell into place, but more were lost. Her head was pounding and vision blurred. Running around a corner, she slammed into something soft yet firm. She started to panic as strong hands gripped her arms.

"Rose? Rose!"

She shook her head, squinting as she looked up at who held her, relief flooding her as the Doctor swam into view. She gave a lopsided smile.

"Hi."

He frowned, concerned, searching her face. "Rose, are you okay?"

In response, she pushed him away and turned, supporting herself on a wall as she threw up. Nodding, she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and stood to face him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little disoriented."

"Dammit." He took her face in his hands, locking his eyes on to hers. "Rose, I need you to take a few deep breaths and try to focus, okay? Your senses are hypersensitive and overstimulated right now. We don't have time for me to fix it for you, so you need to focus." He clicked his fingers as her eyes started to roll back. She snapped them back on his, wide as she tried to just keep _him_ in focus. "Rose, you can do this! You _have _to do this. Just until we get back to the TARDIS, okay?"

She nodded as she swayed slightly, grabbing tightly onto his coat to steady herself. Focus. She had to focus. Just 'til they got back to the TARDIS. She could do that, couldn't she? As she turned to throw up again, she began to have her doubts.

Taking the deep breaths the Doctor had told her to take, she finally managed to dull the pounding in her head to a throb and her hearts finally slowed down. As she faced the Doctor again, she was glad to see that her vision was only slightly blurred around the edges. Taking the handkerchief he offered her, she wiped her mouth again, shoved it in her pocket, and gestured for them to continue.

Carefully, and with a firm grip on the Doctor's hand, Rose surveyed their surroundings. They trailed behind Martha and the two Ri'Ciaoans that had rescued them. At some point, they'd made it out of the palace or capitol building or wherever it was they'd been and were in an alley now. She could sense the TARDIS nearby. Oh, well, that was new.

As they hid behind a dumpster, she got a good look at the two natives, and frowned. There was something… odd about them. She held the Doctor back slightly as they came out of hiding and continued on their way.

"Those two, the ones that came with Martha, do you notice anything weird about them?"

He glanced at them and nodded sadly.

"Yeah, noticed it when they freed us. Their timelines are ending soon, his before hers, but soon."

Rose watched them a moment longer as they peeked out around a car, looking for guards.

"We have to let them die, don't we?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, Rose. I hope not, but we won't know until the time comes."

Nodding, she squeezed his hand as they followed their rescuers to another hiding place, surprised to see another Ri'Ciaoan waiting for them. The woman – Jalal? – didn't seem happy that he was there.

"Jessup, what're you doing here? You're supposed to be getting the President to safety."

He trembled as he shook his head, tears making tracks in the dirt and blood on his face.

"Jalal, I'm sorry. I tried to stop him, but he was too close…"

The Ri'Ciaoan woman's features instantly became concerned.

"What happened? Where's the President?"

"Velmir killed him, right before he was shot down by elite guards. I barely made it out alive."

Rose's hearts stopped as she noted Jessup's very short timeline. His seemed to match that of Malek's, their other Ri'Ciaoan rescuer. Tears flooded her eyes as she looked up at the Doctor as he watched her with interest and concern.

"Yes, I see it too, Rose, and there's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

Nodding silently, she stood as the others did, creeping out from behind another car only to come face to face with elite guards. Raising her hands, she swallowed as her eyes flicked down the alley where she knew the TARDIS stood. They were so close!

"You're all under arrest for the assassination of President Inay. Surrender your weapons and come peacefully and no one will get hurt."

Jalal looked over her shoulder, making eye contact with the Doctor. "Is your ship nearby?"

He nodded. "Yes. Just down that alley."

"Good. You three make a break for it; we'll cover you. Be well."

Smiling sadly, the Doctor squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you, and I'm sorry."

Bowing her head, she raised her weapon, motioning for the other two to follow suit. Grabbing Rose and Martha's hands, the Doctor tugged them after him, toward the TARDIS, as gunfire opened behind them. Martha yanked her hand away, skidding to a halt.

"What're we doing? We can't just leave them to die!"

The Doctor grabbed her hand again. "We don't have a choice. They're giving us a chance to escape. We have to take it."

Rose looked over her shoulder, tears welling up as she watched Malek get shot down, followed shortly by Jessup. Quite suddenly, her world began to spin again. Events were falling rapidly into place, their deaths seemingly the corner pieces to this jigsaw puzzle. She barely registered when the Doctor started pulling her toward the TARDIS again, or Martha's yelling at them to stop and go back.

Stumbling into the control room, she made her way up the ramp and collapsed on the jump seat, curling up in a ball. She squeezed her eyes shut, as much to stop the spinning as to hold in the tears that wanted to spill out. She knew there was nothing they could've done, that it had to happen.

The sound of the rotor seeped in as the very vivid images of the Ri'Ciaoans getting shot replayed over and over in her mind. The screams and gunfire drowned out the Doctor and Martha's shouting. She was sure at some point some of it was directed at her. She didn't care. She'd just gotten someone killed.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Because? Because! What the hell sort of answer is that?"

Martha clenched and unclenched her fists. She was only barely aware of the persistent stabbing pain of her nails against her palms. She didn't care. At least it meant she could _feel_, which was more than she could say about the psychos she was trapped with.

Unclenching her hand, she angrily and blindly slapped a door as she passed it, stopping short as it opened. She'd slapped a few doors as she'd wandered the seemingly-endless halls, but this was the first one that opened. Turning, a brow raised as she read the name on it.

"The mysterious, kidnapped Kari, huh? I wonder if you were actually taken or if they left you for dead somewhere. Seems like something they'd do." She sighed. "Might as well see who I'm 'replacing.'"

Pushing the door open, she stepped into the missing companion's room. Glancing about, she was surprised at how lived-in it seemed, like she'd just stepped out for a moment and would be back anytime. The bed was unmade, clothes were strewn about, and there was more than one empty coffee cup on various surfaces. Picking one up, Martha inspected it for a moment before giving a snort of laughter.

"You probably had just stepped out for a moment, fully expecting to come back. Shows what you knew."

She was looking at a picture of a young woman – she assumed it was Kari – and a rather handsome man when something rubbed against her legs. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise at the sight of a cat wrapping itself around her ankles. Kneeling down, she scratched it behind an ear.

"Hello there, puss. What're you doing in here?"

"That's Paxton, Kari's cat. I imagine she's a bit starved for attention."

Martha stood so quickly she nearly toppled over as she spun towards the voice. Her eyes narrowed as they fell on the source. "What do _you_ want?"

The Doctor sighed. "To apologize. And explain. If after that, you still want to go home, I'll take you, no questions asked."

She crossed her arms and adjusted her stance, shifting her weight to one hip. "Well, get to explaining, then."

He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around the room, like he was just as unfamiliar with it as she was. Eventually, he focused back on her, shoving his hands in his pockets.

He glanced behind her. "Can we sit down? Please? This could take a while."

She watched him for a long moment, eyes narrowed. She didn't want to take a while. She didn't want to sit down. She wasn't even sure she wanted an explanation. At least, not if that explanation was supposed to make her say that what she had just witnessed was really okay. Still, it wasn't like she had much of a choice. He piloted this... whatever it was. And he wasn't going to take her home until he'd said his peace.

"Sit, then. I'm not stopping you."

He studied her for a moment, sighing again when he realized she wasn't going to budge. Stepping around her, he moved a pile of laundry and sat down. He leaned forward on his knees, scrubbing his hands down his face before clasping them in front of him. He looked up at her with tired eyes.

"I'm a time traveler, Martha. My life rarely happens in the right order. It's not uncommon for effect to come before cause. That's what's happened here. The reason Kari was taken was presumably because of what happened on that planet."

Martha's brow furrowed as she shook her head. "That doesn't even make any sense."

"Kari wasn't the one they were after; I was. However, the whole reason we were even _on_ that planet was because the energy signal that should be taking us to Kari led us there. Whoever took her used primitive time travel technology, badly. They took her from a point _before_ the reasons why they were even searching me out happened to me, creating a cyclical paradox."

Martha frowned. "Fine. I'm not even going to _ask_ how you think you know all of that. Let's say I believe you. It still doesn't change the fact that what happened back there was _wrong_. And you let it happen, right there in front of you."

He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I had to let it happen, Martha. They're deaths are _why_ they come looking for me. If I'd changed anything, even the slightest bit, it would've created an even bigger paradox."

"So?" Brows raised, she waited as patiently as she could manage to hear why that justified what was, to her, the equivalent of murder. By proxy, maybe. But if he could've stopped it and he didn't, he was at the very least guilty of negligence.

The Doctor stood and ran his hands through his hair as he began to pace. After a few passes, he stopped and placed his hands on the dresser, almost like he was trying to calm himself. Taking a few deep breaths, he turned to face her.

"For me, at this point in time, Kari has already been taken. That's fixed. It's happened. I can't change that. Nor could I change the reasons _why_ she was taken. If I hadn't given them a reason to come looking for me, to try to take me out of time and space, then they won't take Kari, which has already happened."

She wanted to ask what the problem was with them not taking Kari. But she had a feeling he'd talk them in circles if she gave him that opportunity. So she asked the more direct question.

"Or else what? They never take Kari and then what happens? The universe implodes?"

"Quite possibly, yes."

She laughed. "Am I supposed to _believe_ that?"

"Ideally." He heaved a sigh. "Look, Martha, I don't know what else I can say to convince you that what happened had to happen. I get that all this sounds completely insane. If I could have changed it, I would have, in a heartbeat. But..." He trailed off, shaking his head as he flopped back down in the chair, burying his face in his hands. "I'm sorry."

Martha studied him for a long moment, relaxing her posture just slightly. Her gaze drifted over the room, the items strewn haphazardly about. This was somebody's life, their day to day. Somebody who hadn't been forced to be here, but they'd chosen to.

"Why?" She looked pointedly at him. "Why do they follow you? Rose, Kari... Are they just as mad as you are?"

He gave a short laugh as his hands slowly slid down his face. "Possibly. Probably." He leaned back in the chair. "Rose was 19 when she started traveling with me. Saved her from shop window dummies then blew up her work. Asked her to come with me. Twice. Never done that before. She's saved my life in more ways than I can count."

He cast sad eyes around his lost companion's room, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as they landed on the pictures on her dresser. "Kari was probably the craziest of them all. She knew what she was getting into and still came along. Saved the world - and Rose - on her first day."

Martha relaxed her stance. "So that's what it's about? Saving the world - the universe - and watching people die?"

Any hint of a smile faded as he met her gaze. "I'd like to say no, but I'd be lying. Things like today are rare, yes, but there's still entirely too much death. There are good days; days when everyone lives. Days when we explore planets without someone trying to kill us or throw us in jail. Probably happens more often then I realize. But that's who I am, Martha. The Doctor. An alien in a blue box that goes around saving the universe, frequently with a companion or two in tow."

"Right. Of course." She swallowed, shifting slightly. "Just makes me wonder what the hell I'm doing here, is all."

He stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I will understand if you want to go home. More than understand, actually. But you are more than welcome to stay, too. I've become accustomed to having two companions and I'm sure Rose misses having another girl to talk to. The TARDIS will set you up a room of your own if you decide to stay." He glanced around the room again before walking toward the door, stopping briefly at the bed to scratch Paxton under the chin. "Take your time to think about it. The TARDIS will lead you to wherever I am when you're ready."

"Right." Martha nodded, defenses still safely in place as she watched him leave. She couldn't help but wonder if that meant he was simply going to leave his "expired" companion behind. She wasn't about to let that happen. Damned if she was going anywhere until she saw Kari safely returned to this room. But she wasn't going to tell him that. Right now, it was safer just to say nothing.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The Doctor made another adjustment to the scanner, doing his level best to ignore the little light that was flashing on the console. The TARDIS had picked up the signal again. He didn't know how long they'd have it; didn't matter. He couldn't follow it until he knew what Martha wanted to do.

Sighing, he ran his hands down his face and flopped onto the jump seat, propping his feet on the console. He leaned his head back, letting his eyes slide closed as he took a few deep, calming breaths. Patience wasn't his strong suit. He hated waiting at the best of times; the fact they ran the risk of losing the trail only made it worse.

He opened his eyes and turned to look at the door as it opened, smiling weakly as Rose walked in with two cups of tea. Dropping his feet, he let her pass before taking one from her, putting them back up and wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she sat down.

"Ta."

She nodded and sipped hers. "Welcome. Figured we could all do with a good cuppa."

He gave a low chuckle. "All the problems in the universe could be solved with a sit down and a good cuppa." He took a long drink, sighing as the sweet, hot concoction rolled on his tongue and slid down his throat. "Especially if you made it."

"Hardly."

He squeezed her shoulder slightly. "No, really, Rose. Your tea could end hunger, halt wars, and bring peace to the entire universe."

She looked up at him, raising a brow. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult. For your sake, I'm going to take it as a compliment."

"As you should." He leaned his forehead against her crown, nuzzling into her hair slightly. "How're you feeling?"

She shrugged. "Better, I guess. Don't seem to be as hypersensitive as I was before, but I don't know how much of that has to do with being in the TARDIS."

He sighed again, staring into his tea as he swirled the cup. "Quite a bit, I'd imagine. When we're in here, we're in a state of temporal grace, cut off from regular time. It's allowed your senses to calm down and readjust. Something like that won't happen again. Well, shouldn't, as long as I'm careful not to leave everything wide open like I did. Sorry about that."

"S'kay. It was a learning experience if anything." Leaning into him, she hugged her cup as it sat in her lap. "How's Martha? Does she want to go home?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I found her in Kari's room; TARIDS must've led her there. She's upset, angry, and confused with every right to be. Did my best to explain what happened and told her to come find me when she made a decision."

Nodding, Rose took another sip of her tea. Sighing, she fell silent. He stroked his thumb over her shoulder, staring absently at the blasted blinking light on the console. A thought was niggling at him, right at the edge of his memory. Something that didn't have to do with the search, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

He was dragged out of his musings when he noticed his arm shaking. Frowning, he looked down at Rose and realized she was crying. Setting their mugs on the floor, he pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss into her hair.

"Hey. It's okay. It's a lot to deal with all at once. You'll get used to it."

She shook her head and pulled back slightly, wiping tears away. "It's not that. Well, it is, but…" She looked up at him, her eyes full of fear and sadness. "Those two men died. They were _killed_! Right in front of us, and there was nothing we could do. We had to let it happen!" She looked away, seeming to focus on the blinking light, though he wasn't sure if she actually saw it or realized what it was. "How can we expect Martha to accept, let alone understand, something like that? _I_ barely understand it! And I sure as hell don't want to accept it, but I have to." Looking back up at him, she frowned as fresh tears fell. "Is this how it always is? How it's always going to be?"

He pulled her tight against him. "Yes. No." He sighed. "I don't know, Rose. I can only assume you see and feel things the same way I do. If that's the case, then, yes, for the most part, that's how it always is. And you will get used to it. I promise."

Nodding, she pulled herself to him as close as she could, burying her face in his chest as she continued to sob. He tightened his grip, giving her this moment to grieve and process. She deserved that much, if not more. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as hers soaked through his shirt, hearts clenching at the memories of the horrors he'd endured over the centuries. Horrors he hoped she never came close to experiencing.

Flipping a switch, turning a dial, almost from motor memory, Rose helped the Doctor pilot them to their next destination, wherever that was. She glanced at Martha out of the corner of her eye. The other woman was sat on the jump seat, arms and legs crossed, not quite glaring, but certainly not happy about being there. She'd decided to stay, but didn't seem pleased about the decision.

Rose barely caught herself on the edge of the console as they had another bumpy landing. She tilted her head as she looked curiously up at the rotor.

"Doctor, what's wrong with her? She's been running rough ever since we started following the signal."

"Before that, actually." He checked something on the scanner before grabbing his coat and heading to the door. "Ever since we got knocked out of the vortex, though it seems to have gotten worse. I don't think she likes being led on a wild-goose chase. Can't say I blame her."

Glancing at Martha over her shoulder as she reached the door, Rose gave her a weak smile.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to."

She huffed as she reluctantly stood and slipped her jacket on. "No way am I staying by myself in here. For all I know, there's some wild animal roaming those endless halls."

Rose laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Not that I know of, but I haven't even come close to exploring it all. I'm not sure anyone can."

"Rose! Are you coming or not?"

Rolling her eyes at the whining Time Lord, she stepped out, immediately wrapping her arms around herself. Pulling her coat over her head to protect herself from the wind and rain, she ran to catch up with the Doctor. Her shoes squished as she came to a stop and stared up at the dark, looming structure in front of them.

"When and where are we? And what's that place? Scooby Doo's house?"

"London, 2008, little bit before we picked up Martha…" He paused, frowning. Shaking his head a bit, he pulled the sonic out and aimed it at the house. "Signal's weak, but it's coming from in there."

Martha stepped up next to them. "We are _not_ going in there!" She looked up at the Doctor. "We're not, right?" Her face fell as he beamed and headed for the house. She looked to Rose, eyes wide. "Please tell me we're not going in there."

Rose shrugged. "Well, he is, and where he goes, I go. Up to you if you want to follow. Again, you are more than welcome to stay in the TARDIS where it's warm, dry, and a lot less creepy. In fact," she pulled her key out of her pocket and handed it to Martha. "Here, take this. If you want to go back before we do, you'll be able to get in."

Giving her an apologetic smile, Rose started after the Doctor, trainers slipping on the wet leaves. Eyes on the path, she was so focused on not falling that she didn't realize the Doctor had stopped and slammed into his back.

"Oof, sorry." She looked up at him frowning when she noticed that, in spite of her almost knocking him off balance, he seemed completely lost in thought. "Doctor?" She nudged him with her shoulder. "Doctor, are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Rose…" He trailed off again before his eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh! No… Yes! Ha!" He beamed at her and pushed the sonic into her hand before jogging back toward the TARDIS.

"Where are you going?"

"Be right back! Finally remembered something I've been trying to figure out all day."

Rose blinked, staring after him as Martha caught up with her. "Barmy. He's completely, bloody barmy."

For the first time since before Ri'Ciao, Martha gave a smile, albeit a small one. "So it's not just me, then?"

Shaking her head, Rose laughed and turned back toward the house, holding the sonic out to try to find the signal. "Not in the least. Man's a complete loon, but there's generally a reason behind it."

"Oh, well, as long as there's a reason to his madness…"

The two women continued toward the house in silence, neither wanting to shout through the wind, rain, and the protection of their coats. Rose found the door locked and was changing settings on the sonic when she heard a gasp and the sound of something being dropped behind her. Frowning, she turned to see what it was.

"Martha, are you-"

Quite suddenly, everything went black and her ears popped. Next thing she knew, she was smacking into a brick wall. Sliding down it, she barely noticed Martha next to her as she caught her breath and tried to get everything to stop spinning. Her eyes were only just beginning to focus when the other woman groaned.

"Oh, god, what happened?" Rubbing her temples, she looked around them, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "Rose, where the hell are we?"

Pulling her coat off her head, Rose brushed hair out of her face as she looked around the dirty alley. She slowly stood and brushed herself off before helping Martha up. Fiddling with settings, she waved the sonic about, not sure it could tell her anything or, if it could, she'd know how to read it. She sighed.

"I don't know. I know we're no longer at the creepy house and that we've lost the signal." Stepping away from the wall, she looked up and down, looking for any sign of when or where they were, the TARDIS, or the Doctor. She'd begun walking toward the opposite wall to look at a poster when she first sensed, and then heard, the Doctor flash into existence behind her. She ran over to him and knelt down, ignoring the dizzy feeling she got from the sudden movement.

"Doctor! Are you okay?"

He rubbed the back of his head and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I will be. Time travel without a capsule has got to be the second least pleasant thing to do, the first being stuck in an elevator with a Dalek and a Cyberman." He laughed at his joke and grimaced. "Ow. You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Doctor, what happened?"

"Not sure, but I have a feeling the answers are in this folder." Handing it to her, he carefully stood up, bracing himself on her shoulder and the wall. "Any idea when we are yet?"

"Yup." Both turned to Martha has she headed toward them holding a newspaper. Stopping, she looked down at the paper before holding it up for them to see.

Rose's eyes went wide when she saw the date. "Oh."

The Doctor squinted, unable to focus his eyes. "What does it say?"

"1969."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Let me see if I have this right: you asked me to travel with you because some woman named Sally Sparrow asked you where I was when she gave you this folder?"

"No. Well, yes…" The Doctor sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck. "I met Sally a month or so ago while on a scavenger hunt with Kari. She asked where you and Rose were and didn't seem to recognize Kari. She also gave me this folder, telling me I'd need it someday. So I knew I would meet _a_ Martha at some point, I just didn't know when. I had no idea you were that Martha when I asked you to come with us, though I think some part of me knew."

Martha nodded slowly as she continued to sift through the letters, pictures, and various notes Sally had assembled. It seemed she'd spent quite a bit of time on it over the last year, which just added to Martha's confusion. All of this had apparently happened to Sally a year ago, but Martha had only just met the Doctor and Rose. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her forehead as a headache started to form.

Rose picked up a DVD case and turned it over, scrutinizing it. "We're not gonna be stuck here until DVDs are invented, are we? Because that's not for another, what, thirty years?"

He shook his head as he read over a page of notes. "No, seems we'll meet someone named Billy Shipton at some point. We're to give him the list of DVDs and a recorded message to put on it." He picked up another piece of paper. "This seems to be Sally's side of the conversation for that message."

Martha sighed and picked up a sheet with three addresses on it: one for Wester Drumlins, which was apparently the creepy house, one for a shop she and Rose were to apply for jobs at, and another for a flat. She stared blankly at it, wondering how this Sally person had gotten all this information. Not just that, but there'd been time-appropriate money in the folder; enough for them to get food, clothes, and pay for at least a month's rent on the flat.

Looking up, she watched the Doctor and Rose curiously, heads together as they poured over every bit of information. When she'd agreed to stay on with them, she definitely hadn't had something like this in mind. Traveling through space and time looking for their friend was one thing, but being stuck with them in a flat in 1969? If the clothes didn't drive her nuts, their ever-rising sexual tension sure as hell would.

The Doctor seemed to notice her staring at them and offered an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Martha. I honestly had no idea this was going to happen. However, even if I had, I couldn't have told you for risk of you deciding to go back home."

She tapped the picture on the table and nodded. "This is another one of those 'effect before cause' things, isn't it?"

"Yep, 'fraid so! But, look at the bright side," he leaned back, putting one arm around Rose's shoulders while he gestured around the diner with the other. "It's the swinging 60s in London! Great music, great fashion, great art. In just a couple of months, Woodstock will happen, making one of the biggest musical and political statements of the era." He smiled fondly. "I don't think I've ever been so filthy and had so much fun in all my lives. That's how I got my coat." He nodded to his long trench coat draped over the chair by Martha. "Janis Joplin gave me that coat after I ruined what I was wearing in a giant mud fight."

Martha turned a raised brow to Rose, who seemed to be the best gauge for knowing just how full of it the Doctor was. She nodded in reply.

"It's true, I was there. Didn't quite fit him, though; had to tie it around his waist. Jimi Hendrix gave me a lovely poncho to cover up with." She sighed. "I miss that poncho. Accidentally set it on fire while running from those dragon creatures on Jilaxian 9."

Martha now had both eyebrows risen as she looked between the two of them, sure that they were either taking the piss or were just completely barmy. She really hoped it was the former if she was going to be living with them for an undetermined period of time.

Taking one last, long drink of his soda, the Doctor gathered everything they'd spread across the table and shoved it back in the folder. Standing, he reached across and grabbed his coat.

"Well, no time like the present to go get this flat taken care of, eh?"

Popping another chip in her mouth, Rose followed suit, slipping her hand into his.

"And after, we can go shopping, yeah?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Do we have to, Rose?"

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to go if it's going to be that painful for you. I'm sure Martha and I can manage just fine on our own."

Martha smirked. "Probably better since we have to do some clothes shopping."

She didn't miss the slight spark of interest in the Doctor's eyes, or how he looked Rose up and down out of the corner of his eye, at the mention of clothes shopping. Shaking her head, she followed them out of the diner, dreading the days to come and really hoping the flat had two bedrooms.

The Doctor quietly and calmly sipped his tea as he enjoyed the view from the walkway outside their third-story flat. Once he'd gotten over the initial shock and uneasiness of the situation and allowed himself to relax a bit, he realized he actually quite enjoyed it.

They'd all fallen into a fairly regular routine with the girls heading off to work and him working on getting them back. Rose had taken to staying up late with him, helping to work on the timey-wimey detector (the name alone providing her no end of amusement on his behalf) or piece together what they needed to do next.

But it was these moments, early in the morning when the only things awake were the sun, birds, and him, that he found to be some of his favorites. He was always running, moving, going that he'd forgotten how important stopping occasionally was. Not often, but enough to not take the little things for granted.

Letting his eyes slide closed, he took in a slow, deep breath, filling his lungs with the early morning air. Exhaling, a smile crept across his face as he heard the door open and close quietly behind him. Lifting his arm, he opened his eyes and smiled down at Rose as she slid underneath it, nuzzling into him. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy this part, too.

"Morning."

He kissed the top of her head before looking back out over the courtyard. "Morning. Sleep well?"

She nodded, hugging her cup as she sipped her tea. "Yeah. You sleep at all?"

"About an hour, from 2-3, not long after you went to bed."

She chuckled. "You mean after you carried me to bed." She looked up at him, one delicate, gorgeous brow raised. "You keep doing that. Why can't you just leave me be when I fall asleep on the floor or couch while you're working?"

He wanted to tell her the truth, that he had to or else he'd spend all night watching her sleep. That it was everything he could do to not comb his fingers through her long, blonde hair or stroke them down her soft cheek. That every little sound she made was beautiful, distracting music to his ears.

Stroking his thumb on her bare arm, wanting more than anything to stroke it over many other parts of her, he settled on the most benign reason.

"Why sleep on the floor or couch when you have that big, comfy bed?"

She shrugged. "I suppose."

Nuzzling into her hair, he kissed her again, smiling when he felt her breath catch.

"If you would rather sleep on a hard floor, Rose Tyler, who am I to object?"

He tucked her head under his chin, sighing as they both fell into comfortable silence, enjoying the early hour and each other. In that moment, with her warm body pressed against his and scent engulfing him, he decided that if he really had to, he could survive the slow path. As long as he had her, he could survive anything.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Rose leaned against the wall, arms crossed, as she watched the Doctor work. This was one of her favorite things to do. She loved watching his long, nimble fingers adjust delicate bits of wire. She loved how, no matter how many times he pushed them up, his glasses would always slide down the bridge of his nose. She loved the way his forehead would crinkle when he was focused on a particularly stubborn piece, his face illuminated by the sonic as he tried to force it to do what he commanded.

She also loved how he always – always – knew when she was watching him and never questioned it. Well, not anymore; not since he'd been all leather and ears.

"Rose, could you hand me that bit of string?"

Smiling, she pushed off the wall and knelt down next to him on the floor, picking up the string and handing it to him, allowing her fingers to graze his. The touch lingered a bit longer than necessary.

"How's the timey-wimey detector coming?"

He shrugged as he took the string, motioning for her to put her finger on it so he could tie it to what looked like a bolt.

"Fine. It'll boil an egg at 30 paces now."

She chuckled. "Well that's good. I've been getting odd looks at the shop for all the eggs I've been buying."

Her eyes raked over him as they fell into a comfortable silence. Long legs stretched in front of him, crossed at the ankle, as he leaned against the couch. He'd rolled up the sleeves of his Oxford, exposing his manly, hairy arms. She smirked a bit, to herself, as she looked back up at the hair on his head. Marveling at how great it looked and how much she really wanted to run her hands through it, she was almost surprised when his voice snapped her back to what she was supposed to be doing.

"Rose?"

She barely concealed the shiver that went through her when he said her name. She smiled, hoping her voice kept at a normal octave.

"Yeah?"

"Finger. Please. Here." He gave her a funny look, just briefly, but quickly diverted his eyes away from her again.

She blinked. "Right."

Placing her finger where he'd instructed, her eyes and mind started to wander again. Up long arms, across his strong shoulders, along his slender neck, fighting a strong desire to bury her face in it. Her eyes continued up, pausing on his mouth, slightly open, tongue pressed to the back of his teeth in concentration. She found herself wondering where else he could press it, and how it would feel.

When she finally made it to his eyes, she jumped when she found them on her. "What?"

He smirked just slightly – a subtle twitch at the corner of his lips. "I should be asking _you_ that."

She pulled her hand back and looked away, hoping he couldn't see her blushing in the dim light of the sitting room. "Nothing." Flinching, she cursed herself for the high pitch that betrayed her and cleared her throat. "Nothing," she said again. "Why?"

He chuckled quietly. "You're the one who's having difficulty concentrating."

Her eyes flicked down to where her finger had been, and then along the string to where it ended on his lap... She shook her head slightly before looking back up at him. "Don't need much concentration to hold something in place with my finger, now do I?"

He smiled knowingly, but looked away, back down at his project. "Not what I meant."

She frowned and felt her face get hotter. Among other things. Shifting, she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as she tried to pull her wandering thoughts under control. "I have no idea what you _do_ mean. My concentration is just fine, thank you."

"I'm surprised." He kept his head down as he looked up with just his eyes, locking hard onto hers, smirking at her. "I never realized that somebody could give off so many pheromones with their concentration still being completely intact."

Her eyes went wide and she was sure her face was going to burn off from the now head-to-toe blush. She clenched her hands, twisting them into her shirt. "Yeah, well, guess I'm just full of surprises. Now, where do you want my finger?"

His grin widened just slightly, a subtle look that made her wonder if his thoughts might not be too far from hers. Letting her question hang for a moment, he sat back and pulled off his glasses, dropping them on the sofa behind him. His eyes sparked, and he reached for her hand, bringing it up and kissing the back of her finger with slightly parted lips.

She swallowed, wondering if he was going to pull it into his mouth. No, hoping he was. She licked her lips, eyes never leaving his. "So, there then?"

He never took his eyes off of hers as he dropped his head slightly and nuzzled the inside of her wrist, breathing deep. "I can think of a few places, actually."

"Oh yeah?" Instinctively, her fingers curled into his hair, combing lightly. "Such as?"

He leaned into her touch, letting his fingertips trail lightly up her arm. "That's a good place."

She shivered, eyes drifting to her hand as she moved just a little bit closer to him. She watched as her fingers buried themselves in his hair; it felt even better than it looked. Absently, her other hand came up, fingertips tracing lightly over his sideburn, cheek, the bridge of his nose. Her eyes finally made their way back to his as her thumb gently ran across his lips. She smiled.

"Hi."

"Hi." He moved an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, setting his gadget aside, next to his glasses. "I somehow get the impression you're feeling ignored."

She startled at that, tilting her head and shaking it slightly. "No..." Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, she pulled her hands away and folded them in her lap. "What gave you that impression?"

Still smiling, he eyed her curiously. But he didn't speak. Instead, he simply pulled her into his lap with the arm still around her waist, helping her to regain her balance as she settled.

She raised a brow. "That didn't answer my question, Doctor."

"The amount of time you've been spending entertaining yourself, inside your head." He paused, watching her carefully to see if she'd deny it. "I've noticed."

Her eyes grew wide as she shifted slightly in his lap. Oh, and there was the blush again. "Doesn't mean I'm feeling ignored." She ducked her head. "Just got better things to think about than a timey-wimey detector."

"Such as?"

"Such as…" Refusing to look up, she fidgeted with his tie, allowing the soft silk to run between her fingers, pondering how it would feel tied over her eyes. Swallowing, she shook her head slightly. "Well, such as how stupid a name like 'timey-wimey detector' is."

He chuckled, rubbing gently at the small of her back. "But accurate."

"Mmmhmm."

Her eyes slid closed as an ever-persistent groan tried to escape. It was everything she could do to not bury her face in his neck and breath deep. Or to yank on his tie and snog him till both of their respiratory bypasses kicked in. Her hand clenched around said tie and she took a couple deep breaths, though they failed to have the calming affect she'd intended. Instead, she just ended up slightly dizzy as his scent practically overpowered her.

"And there's those pheromones again…" He eyed her curiously. "Who would've thought that tinkering around with bits of wire and string would make you so... interested."

The groan finally escaped as another shiver shot through her, the combination of his breath against her neck and vibration from his chest as he spoke shook her to her core. She chuckled, not releasing her grip on his tie as her other hand fisted in her shirt.

"Oh, you have no idea!"

He chuckled. "I should tinker around with gadgets more often."

She turned her face into his chest, trying to muffle her response, her thoughts scattering even more as she took in another lung full of _him_. "I can think of way better things to tinker with than gadgets."

His tone was full of innocence, seemingly oblivious to the effect he was having on her. But he couldn't possibly be. He'd even pointed out the pheromones. He knew full well what he was doing to her. "What do you mean?"

What little control she'd been keeping started to snap. Keeping what had become a white knuckled grip on his tie, her other hand found its way up the back of his head and into his hair. She placed a trail of hot kisses up his neck, nibbling the lobe of his ear before pressing her lips next to it.

"Me, for instance."

She could feel his smile as he turned his face toward her to whisper back into her ear. "You need fixing?"

"You could say that." Pulling back slightly, she smiled as she met his eyes. She licked her lips hungrily as her eyes flicked to his mouth. His gorgeous mouth. Leaning in, closing the small gap, she ran the tip of her tongue along his lips, tracing them and pulling the bottom one between her teeth, nibbling before releasing it.

He followed her, pressing his lips against hers in a firm, slow kiss. But he pulled back slightly as her lips parted, teasing her, never quite giving her the full contact he knew she wanted. He was enjoying the game entirely too much.

Growling slightly, she used the hand tangled in his hair to keep him from moving as she crushed her lips to his, parting instantly, coaxing him to follow suit.

He smiled into the kiss and finally returned it, sliding his tongue along hers and exploring her slowly, deeply.

Her eyes slid closed, groaning, his taste mingled with his scent intoxicating. She dragged her nails across his scalp as she finally released his tie only to start loosening it.

The feel of his tie loosening made him pause briefly, but he didn't pull away. One hand still resting passively on her back, the other on her hip, he nuzzled her as he tipped his head down, breaking the kiss but leaving his lips so near to hers, she could still taste his breath.

"What are you doing?"

"Hmm?"

Her eyes opened slowly, fixing on deep chocolate ones. They were ancient and infinite and she wanted to fall into them. It took her a few moments of being lost in his eyes before she realized he'd asked her a question. What was it again? Right, what was she doing. What was she doing? Tearing her eyes away from his, she looked down at her hand as it fumbled with his tie.

"Oh." She looked back up at him. "Undoing your tie."

He didn't answer her, just watched her eyes for a moment, then lowered his own to the top of her shirt. He let them linger there, then finally reached up to trace the neckline.

Her breath hitched, her skin tingling where his fingers grazed it. She trailed the fingertips of the hand in his hair across his jaw and down his neck before using it to assist the other with his tie. She carefully, delicately untied it and slowly pulled it out from under his collar, placing it on the couch behind him. Her eyes studied his face as she began undoing the buttons on his Oxford, pausing between each one, challenging him to stop her.

He didn't stop her. He only watched his fingertips as they traced lightly down the column of buttons from her collarbone down to her waistline. With a mysterious, knowing smile, he caught her gaze again as he unfastened the top button with nimble fingers.

Placing both hands on his chest, she shifted until she straddled him. Her eyes flashed as she returned his smile, tugging his shirt out of his trousers, taking care of the last few buttons. Splaying her fingers across his tight, muscular stomach, she ran her hands up slowly, through the soft hair on his chest, across his collarbone, to his shoulders, pushing his shirt off of them.

He didn't rush, fingers working painfully slow on the second button, then slipping inside to lightly trace the edge of her bra. Finally breaking his gaze away from hers, he dropped his head as he pulled her closer, and set a few warm, wet kisses on her collarbone.

She moaned, his lips cool against her hot flesh. Leaning into him, she tilted her head, giving him better access as his kisses trailed up her neck.

He nuzzled her gently, letting her feel his breath on her sensitized skin as he slowly worked down the rest of her buttons, one at a time. "It's been a _very_ long time since I've done anything like this."

"Mmmhmm, me too." She dipped her head down, running the tip of her tongue down his neck, grazing her teeth across his shoulder before retracing her steps, tracing the shell of his ear. Kissing along his jaw, she smiled against his lips as she met his eyes with half-lidded ones. "Too long."

Finally, he reached the bottom of her shirt, and untucked it before slipping his hands inside, around her waist to her back. He held her gently but firmly, fingertips brushing up and down her spine as he inched his way up to the clasp of her bra. "You wanna take this to the bedroom?"

She nodded as she ran her fingers through his hair again. She'd never get tired of that. "Probably should. Less chance of getting interrupted."

He smirked. "I was thinking more about the fact that the scenery is better suited for all the things I want to do to you." He leaned in closer, drawing her earlobe gently between his teeth. "And the fact that you're not going to want to move by the time I'm finished."

She leaned back, brow raised. "Oh really? Thought about this much, have you?"

He raised a brow to match hers, still smiling. "And you're going to try to tell me you haven't?"

She studied him for a moment, trying to gauge how serious he was. His gaze never wavered, instead almost challenging her to make the next move. Returning his smirk, she stood and offered her hand.

"Time to show me those moves, Doctor."


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** And here's where I have to officially give this story an M rating.

**Warning:** 10 & Rose finally have sex. Enjoy!

**Chapter 15**

The safety of the closed door wasn't quite sufficient. He locked it as well. Then he stood still for a long moment, just watching her, before he stepped closer and pulled her unbuttoned shirt completely free of her skirt and dropped it in a wrinkled heap on the floor.

She gasped, though whether from the cool air on her exposed skin or his brashness he couldn't tell. She glanced down at the divested shirt before meeting his gaze again, brow raised.

"Got something against it, then?"

"It was in my way."

"That so?" She swallowed and licked her lips, eyes grazing his bare torso. "Suppose we're even now."

"Almost." He watched her eyes as he traced his index finger along the underside of her breast, barely touching. "You're still wearing more than I am."

She nodded, slightly breathless as a shiver shot through her. "I am."

"We'll have to fix that."

The way she seemed to waver between confidence and anxiety made him smile. It wasn't terribly different from what he was feeling, although he had centuries of practice to learn how to hide it. He wanted her; he knew he did, and he was tired of lying to himself, trying to convince himself otherwise. He'd played this moment so many times, over and over again in his mind. In guilt first, and the nagging awareness that he shouldn't feel this way towards her, that it was unsafe and even indecent. And when he'd simply grown tired of warring with his own thoughts, when he'd finally given himself over to them, his mind had wandered so far down this path that he'd shocked himself with the thoughts that he'd entertained.

Eyes locked on his, as she reached back and undid the clasp. Slowly, shyly, she slid the straps off her shoulders, leaving them half down her arms as she hugged herself. She worried her bottom lip as her confidence continued to slip.

He smiled as the straps slid down her arms, and hooked his fingers in them to pull them the rest of the way down, gently moving her hands to her sides and baring her to his gaze. "You're beautiful." He watched his fingers as he trailed back up her arms, along her collarbone, between her breasts and then slowly, lightly across the peak of her nipple, lightly sensitizing nerves.

Gasping again, her eyes slid closed as she arched slightly into his touch. "Thank you."

He raised his hand to trace her lips lightly before leaning in to kiss her, pulling her close to him, skin against skin. She was so warm, it was shocking. Burying a hand in her hair, he cradled her for a moment. Then, finally, he let his hands wander. Along her arms, over her hips, tracing the waistline of her skirt.

Slowly, she relaxed, regaining some of her earlier confidence. Her hands skimmed up his sides and chest, across his collarbone, over his shoulders, into his hair. Pressing against him, a moan escaped as she parted her lips to him. She slid her tongue along his, savoring and exploring.

Hands on her hips, he took a step, guiding her back toward the bed. Never quite breaking the kiss, he tugged the zipper down on the back of the skirt before pushing her gently down onto the bed. He braced himself over her, kisses trailing along her jaw, down to her neck, savoring the salty taste of her skin.

She hummed as she tilted her head, giving him better access. Her hands moved from his hair, down his neck, across his shoulders, nails digging in slightly as his teeth grazed her pulse points.

He moved down, drawing her breast into his mouth and pressing his tongue firmly against her nipple. His hands were pushing at her loosened skirt, guiding it down past her hips. His mind was wandering over all of the things he wanted to do with her, to her. All of the things he had done so many times over in his mind...

Using his shoulders for leverage, she lifted her hips, helping with the removal of her skirt. Her breathing deepened as she moaned, arching her back, urging him on.

Reluctantly, he finally pulled away from her to drag her skirt all the way down her legs. He took the opportunity to quickly unfasten his own slacks as well, kicking them off the side of the bed before he turned his attention back to her, letting his eyes linger on her soft, smooth skin for a long moment. His hands itched to touch her, but he waited, appreciating the view he had of her until he couldn't stand it any longer.

She bit her bottom lip and gave a quiet whimper, shifting under his gaze. With pleading eyes, she met his as she grazed his arm with her fingertips. "Doctor..."

He raised a brow innocently, only half-hiding his smile. "Hmm?"

She shifted, sitting up slightly so she could reach his hand and tugged on it. "'Mere."

Intertwining his fingers with hers, he slid her hand along the mattress as he leaned over her again, bracing himself so he didn't crush her as he felt the heat of her skin warm his.

Running the fingers of her free hand through his hair, she pulled him down and kissed him softly. Her eyes danced as she smiled up at him. "That's better. Like you better up here."

He teased her lower lip for a moment before pulling back and looking down at her. "What else do you like?"

"This." Leaning up, she kissed him again, soft and slow. "Yup, definitely like that."

He chuckled softly, returning her kiss and slowly shifting his weight onto his other arm to free a hand. He ran it slowly down her side, and then tipped her hips towards his, letting her feel his arousal. "I can suggest a few other things that you might like."

A soft moan escaped as she raised a brow and smirked. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

He smiled as he slipped a few fingers under the edge of her knickers, caressing her skin lightly, inching ever closer to the apex of her thighs. Watching her eyes, he finally pushed her back again, parted her legs slightly with his, and found the warm, wet spot between them, slipping his fingers inside of her to explore her depths.

Her eyes rolled back and she squeezed his hand as the one in his hair fell to the bed and twisted into the blankets. She moaned and nodded. "That. I like that." Gasping as he plunged deeper, the moan turned into a breathy laugh, a wide smile forming on her face. "God, yes, more of that."

He laughed quietly, moving his thumb to massage the bundle of nerves that was already swollen with arousal. He leaned down, lips to her ear, nipping lightly at the lobe as he smiled. "Like that?"

"Mmmhmm." She thrust her hips into his hand, seeking more friction. Turning her head, she laid a trail of hot, wet kisses up his neck, along his jaw, until she found his lips with hers. She groaned into the kiss as she plunged her tongue into his mouth, her free hand releasing the blankets to drag her nails across his back.

He let the kiss linger, deep and intense, and groaned at the dull pain of her nails on his skin. It made him want her even more. Pulling back slowly, he smiled knowingly down at her. "You know, in all the times I've thought about this, about you... there's always one thing I couldn't quite place."

She bit her lip, a long, low moan escaping before she was able to open her eyes and meet his. Her chest heaved under him as she tried to get the air and strength to speak. "Whahhh..." She groaned and gulped in another breath. "What's that?"

He withdrew his hand slowly, carefully, and reclined comfortably for a moment as he studied his fingers, glistening with her fluids. Then, watching her eyes, he gave her a knowing grin and licked his fingers clean, drawing just the tips into his mouth to suck them. The taste of her, salty and smooth and complex, was better than he could've imagined.

She whimpered, a small pout forming as she squirmed under him, hips thrusting into his arousal.

He chuckled again, and traced her pouting lips lightly with those same fingers before leaning down to kiss her deeply, letting her taste herself in his mouth. Moving his hand down to her waist again, this time he had a mission. He wanted this barrier between him and her gone. He wanted to feel her warmth and wetness around him, clenching down around him. The well-rehearsed snapshots of pleasure and passion – the ones that had gotten him to sleep at night for what seemed like forever now – were stronger in his mind now than they had ever been. Within his grasp. He could smell and taste and feel her. And it awoke something in him that hardly cared about the right and wrong of it all, the logic and the consequences and the dangers. None of it mattered. The only thought that felt _real_ in his mind, was the desire to be close to her, to be inside of her.

She shifted her hips up, providing any assistance she could to the dispersal of barriers. Lips still moving against his, tongues clashing, her free hand made its way to the top of his pants, fingers tracing before sliding in and grasping his length. She smiled into their kiss as her hand stroked slowly, her thumb running over the tip, eliciting a moan from deep within him.

Once her knickers were out of the way, his were easy to shove down. His hips pressed forward, into her hand, encouraging her touch. Finally breaking the kiss, he dropped his head and raked his teeth along her jaw.

"Rose... I want you..."

Meeting his eyes, she released him and brought her thumb to her mouth, slowly sucking his juices off it. Smiling, she ran it over his lips. "I want you, too, Doctor."

He watched her closely, intently, as he lined himself up with her entrance and slowly, gently, pressed his hips down on hers. The heat of her body almost burned, and it made his eyes roll back as he let out a long, slow breath, mingled with her name.

She sucked in a breath as he entered her, the hand still entwined with his squeezing as she adjusted to him. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she rocked her hips, setting a slow, steady pace.

His eyes never left hers as he moved deeper with each gentle thrust. He didn't want to hurt her. But the pleasure was more intense than he remembered it ever feeling before. His breath was coming in pants now, and he tried to pace it with the movements of their bodies together, letting her show him how fast or slow she wanted him to move.

Her rhythm gradually picked up, hisses of discomfort giving way to moans of pleasure. She cupped his face and pulled him down slightly, leaning up and kissing him softly, lingering for a moment. Pulling away, she smiled up at him as she traced his lips, nose, and cheek with her thumb.

"I love you. You know that, right? Have for a long time."

He smiled faintly, breathing hard, nuzzling against her hand. "I love you too, Rose Tyler... "

Her smile grew wider. "Mmm, I like that." Snaking her fingers into his hair, she got a good grip before thrusting hard into him, gasping in his ear as she pressed her lips next to it. "Say it again."

"I love you." He uttered the words without thought, then processed them slowly before he whispered them again. "I love you more than breath itself, Rose. I was born loving you, and I'll die loving you. Nothing could ever change that..."

Letting go of his hand, she wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him to her and crushing her mouth to his. Her thrusts became quicker, more erratic, her heels digging into his bum, urging him on. Pulling away, gasping, she beamed up at him, eyes wet and glistening with tears.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

He felt his eyes roll back as the pressure between his legs grew, tightening, twisting his emotions into a knot as he thrust harder, deeper. He couldn't think, couldn't find words to answer her. Instead, he only whispered her name as he felt his body respond entirely of its own accord, and his mind was full of nothing but her as he released inside of her warm, welcoming body.

She thrust into him a few more times before he collapsed on her. Hugging him tight, she turned her face into his neck, kissing it softly. Running a hand into his hair, she scratched his scalp lightly and nuzzled his cheek.

"Um, Doctor? I think we may have forgotten about something very important."

His thoughts were only half coherent as he tried to process her words, still breathing heavily as he rested his forehead on the cool pillow. He could feel his temperature still rising as his body reeled, and he was glad for the open window against the far wall.

"Hmm?"

She continued scratching and massaging his scalp as the other hand gently ran up and down his back. "We've forgotten something. Or, rather, someone. Namely, me."

He chuckled softly. "Not in the least, Rose." He drew in a steadying breath, and turned his head to kiss the soft pressure point behind her ear, rubbing his cheek against her hair. "I told you. By the time I'm done with you, you're not going to be able to move."

She laughed, turning to look at him as best she could. "As delightful as that sounds, remember that one of us has to work tomorrow."

"Plenty of hours for recuperation between now and then."

"That so?" Bucking her hips and getting a leg under her, she used all of her strength to roll him off of her. Rolling with him, she got him on his back and straddled him. She smirked down at him as she laced her fingers with his, pinning his hands above his head. "Hmm, think I quite like this, too."

He smiled, and let his eyes slowly rake over her, down from her neck and along the curve of her breasts. His breathing had not quite returned to normal, and he ran his tongue over the inside of his teeth as he felt it hitch again.

"I have no complaints."

She leaned down and nuzzled his nose. "I bet you don't." Kissing him, she lingered just until his lips started to part and pulled away, smiling. "Don't think I didn't notice you teasing me earlier. Two can play that game."

He chuckled quietly, pressing up on her grip just to make her tighten it a bit more. "In that case, do your worst, Rose Tyler."

She kissed him again. "Mmm, as tempting as that offer is, I do believe you're supposed to making it so I don't want to move." She rocked her hips against him a couple of times. "From where I'm sittin', I can move plenty. You, on the other hand..."

He smiled. "Better let me up, then."

Her eyes never left his as she gradually loosened her grip and slid her hands down his arms, resting them on his chest, one over each heart, as she sat up. "Suppose I need to get off of you, too."

He nodded slightly, and sat up as she shifted. "Lie on your stomach."

Eying him curiously, she did as he instructed, resting her head on her arms.

He started at her feet, squeezing and massaging gently, focusing on each muscle and tendon in her arch, around her ankles, up to her shin. Taking his time, he watched her reactions as he moved all the way up to her lower back, then started on the other leg. He didn't speak, quiet and relaxed as he finished with her legs and massaged her lower back, carefully working around each vertebra, each rib as he moved higher, all the way to her shoulders. He let his mind wander as he pulled her hair gently aside and rubbed her neck, then finally leaned down to place a warm, wet kiss at the base of her skull.

She smiled, eyes closed, and nuzzled her head further into her arms. "Mmm, keep that up and I won't want to move because I'll be asleep."

He laughed quietly, and moved his kisses to her ear before whispering for her to turn onto her back. He straddled her once she had settled and guided her arms to the pillow beside her head, leaning down to kiss from her palm to her wrist to her forearm to the inside of her elbow... He worked one hand gently between her legs again and stroked gently as he kissed across her collarbone, over her throat and along her jaw. before claiming her mouth in a slow, deep kiss.

She gave a deep sigh that ended in a moan. Her arms fell lazily across his shoulders, hands linked behind his neck, as she deepened the kiss. Legs spreading wider, she rocked her hips against his hand, first matching and then trying to accelerate his rhythm.

He stroked in and out of her a few times, smelling her arousal, mingled with his own, marking scent. He smiled as he watched her writhe, then finally withdrew his hand and gave himself a few quick strokes to harden his erection back to fullness. Moving over her again, he parted her legs wide with his, poised at her entrance, watching her as he held himself just out of reach, teasing them both.

She whimpered, hips rising, trying to reach him. "Doctor, please..."

Exhaling a long breath, he lowered his hips to hers, sliding smoothly into her warmth, penetrating her deeply. He dropped his head and kissed her as he wrapped a leg around hers and turned, rolling onto his back and pulling her over top of him.

Wobbling slightly, she placed her hands on his chest, balancing as she rocked on him, quickly building momentum. Head hanging down, she dug her nails into his flesh as she ground her hips into his, moans deep and guttural, breaths coming in short pants.

He met her thrusts, matching her pace, watching her hair brush back and forth over her shoulders as her whole body rocked. She was beautiful, and he was captivated by the sight of her, hands on her hips, watching her in fascination as she drowned in her pleasure.

Her head came up as she arched her back, exposing her face, slick with sweat, her blonde hair stubbornly adhering to it. Eyes closed and mouth open as moans turned into loud prayers to deities, proclamations of love, and demands for him to go faster, harder.

His grip tightened on her hips, raising and lowering her, digging his heels into the mattress as he thrust into her, breathing heavily as his fascination grew. She was so beautiful... so free...

Words were lost to desperate cries as she clenched around him, body trembling as she teetered on the edge. Tensing, cries turned into a long, loud scream of his name as her eyes rolled back and pleasure completely consumed her. After a long, glorious moment, she collapsed on him, shuddering.

He laughed low in his throat as his arms circled around her, guiding her head to his shoulder and stroking her hair gently. "You're so beautiful, Rose."

She raised a shaking hand to his face, tracing his side burn as she cleared her throat enough to speak. "Thank you. And you were right." She lifted her head, an exhausted-yet-dreamy smile on her face. "I don't want to move."

He smiled back, massaging her scalp lightly. "Get some rest, Rose. I'll be here in the morning."

Nodding, she kissed him before collapsing again and sliding off, draping a leg and arm over him. She hummed as she nuzzled into him. "Love you."

"I love you too, Rose."


End file.
